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WARREN -- A former Warren Township man best known for his past link to former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for interfering with custody orders.
Lawrence Ray, 50, a former nightclub owner, was charged with second-degree interference with child custody, third-degree bail jumping and fourth-degree contempt of court.
During his appearance in Somerville, Superior Court Judge John Pursel sentenced Ray as a third-degree offender to three years. The sentence was the same as the one agreed upon in the plea deal Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Robin Yerich and defense lawyer James Wronko negotiated.
Previous coverage:
• Warren Township man with ties to Bernard Kerik pleads guilty in child custody case
• Federal judge dismisses complaint by ex-Warren Township man alleging illegal police search
• Former N.Y.C. top cop Bernard Kerik gets four years in federal prison
He could have faced up to 10 years in prison for the second-degree charge. He has already served over two years in jail and could be released in a matter of weeks, Wronko said after court.
Ray and his then-wife Teresa, were in the midst of a contentious divorce in 2005, and the custody case focused on their two daughters. During his guilty plea on Jan. 22, Ray admitted that he defied a court order from Nov. 17, 2005, that gave his wife visitation with the youngest girl for Thanksgiving. He disobeyed a subsequent order from Nov. 22, 2005, that transferred custody of both girls to the state Division of Youth and Family Services.
He was found in Morris County on Dec. 2, 2005, and the girls were elsewhere with one of his female friends, his lawyer has said.
After court, Wronko said his client told the judge he was trying to protect his daughters. Ray believed both girls were being abused by a family member. “He was getting advice from a lot of different people,” Wronko said. “He just basically did the best he could for them.”
The youngest daughter is now in elementary school and lives with her mother. The oldest daughter is a college student living with family friends, Wronko said court.
Ray was the best man at Kerik’s wedding in 1998. Their relationship went sour after Ray pleaded guilty to securities fraud for his role in a stock scam. He later publicly blasted Kerik’s nomination to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Kerik pleaded guilty in November to eight felonies, including lying to the White House while being vetted for the homeland security post in 2004. He will begin serving a four-year prison term next month.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
