Medford Man Who Targeted Latinos Charged in Coke Bust

A Medford man, who served over four years in state prison for his role in the murder of a Latino man who was stabbed to death in a hate crime in 2008, is back behind bars, unable to post the $250,000 bail set for him Sunday in East Hampton Town Justice Court.

Nicholas Hausch, 26, was arrested by East Hampton Town police in downtown Montauk earlier that morning. Initially, Hausch was charged with misdemeanor drunken driving. The arresting officer said that he pulled over Hausch, who was behind the wheel of a 2011 Volkswagen, for rolling through a stop sign on South Edison Street.

After his arrest, police searched Hausch and the car, and reported finding six plastic bags of cocaine, with a total weight of more than a half-gram. He was charged with two felonies: possession of narcotics, and, of greater legal consequence, possession with intent to sell.

He was represented at his arraignment by Brian DeSesa, an attorney who was present as part of a state-funded program to ensure legal representation during weekend arraignments. In years past, Hausch would have been standing alone before East Hampton Town Justice Lisa Rana. He would likely not have known, as DeSesa did, to temporarily waive his right to be released if not indicted this week. That will allow whatever attorney Hausch retains, whether private or from the Legal Aid Society, time to negotiate with the district attorney’s office, and discourage the office from immediately presenting the case to a grand jury.

Before Rana set the $250,000 bail amount, she reviewed Hausch’s criminal record with DeSesa.

In November 2008, Hausch, then 17, went out with six other teens, looking for Latinos to harass and beat. The incident was extensively documented by The New York Times.

Hausch testified during the 2010 trial of the man who did the actual killing, Jeffrey Conroy, that he and his friends were “beaner bopping.” He explained to the jury, “It’s when you go out and you look for a Hispanic to beat up.”

At the Patchogue train station, they spotted two Latinos and attacked them. One of them, an Ecuadorian named Marcelo Lucero, fought back and was stabbed to death by Conroy.

Convicted of four felonies, including manslaughter as a hate crime, and gang assault, Conroy was sentenced to 25 to 29 years in state prison, and is currently in the Clinton Correctional Facility.

Hausch pleaded guilty to four felonies, the most serious being gang assault, and served his time at the Hudson Correctional Facility.

He will be brought back to East Hampton’s justice court for his current charges on May 31.

tom.e@indyeastend.com