The former Chester Highway Superintendent — convicted in the shooting of a DoorDash driver who was trying to drive away — received no sympathy from the judge in his case at Monday's sentencing hearing.
Judge Craig Stephen Brown sentenced John Reilly III, 49, to 17 years in prison for his actions May 2nd 2025 in his front yard on Valerie Drive when DoorDash driver Alpha Barry approached his home.
Barry's cell phone battery was dead.
He was lost.
He asked Reilly if he had ordered the food he was holding, and asked if he could charge his phone.
Reilly ordered Barry to leave.
As Barry, 24, was in his car trying to maneuver out of Reilly's driveway, Reilly came out front holding a gun with another strapped to his back.
Reilly fired his gun three times.
The third shot went through the rear of Barry's car, piercing Barry's back.
Barry underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullet.
A section of his bowels had to be removed.
Barry's attorney Rudyard Whyte told News 12 after the hearing he was surprised at the sentence.
Judge Brown sentenced Reilly to 17 years on first degree assault with depraved indifference, the most serious count on which he was convicted.
Judge Brown also sentenced him to seven years on the conviction of second degree assault, which will run concurrently to the first degree assault sentence.
"I take no pleasure in the incarceration of anyone," Whyte said. "I'm sure he's sorry at this point, but as the judge said, there has to be some form of punishment."
Reilly I appealing the sentence.
His attorney Thomas Kenniff was hoping that since the jury did not convict Reilly of any intent-based counts, including murder and intentional assault, the judge might go lighter on Reilly.
"We're pretty disappointed about that, but we have our appellate rights," Kenniff said. "We think we're going to have a very strong appeal on this case, so we'll see how that shakes out."
"The lengthy sentence imposed on this defendant justly reflects depraved indifference to human life," Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler wrote in a press release after the sentencing. "It is yet another example of the consequence of the use of dangerous firearms by an individual who had no business possessing a gun."
Kenniff said he will file a notice of appeal within the next 30 days.
Meantime, Barry is suing Reilly for negligence and he is suing the Town of Chester for negligent training and retention practices.
Those proceedings are ongoing.
Last month, Reilly’s wife pled guilty to tampering with physical evidence.
Selina Nelson-Reilly, 46, deleted 17 videos from a smart doorbell camera installed in her house that captured footage of her husband shooting Barry.