CORAM, NY – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Brian France, 62, of Coram, has been sentenced to 22 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of a violent assault committed just two months after his release on parole.
France was convicted following a jury trial of Assault in the Second Degree for attacking another passenger aboard a Suffolk County bus using a padlock attached to a strap.
This violent and unprovoked assault on an innocent bus passenger underscores the real-world dangers posed by premature releases,” District Attorney Tierney said. “This defendant is a convicted murderer and rapist who had already served more than three decades in prison. He was free for just over two months before committing another brutal act of violence. Public safety must always take precedence over policies that place dangerous individuals back into the community.”
Trial evidence established that on May 20, 2025, France boarded a Suffolk County Transit bus in Patchogue bound for Coram. Investigators said he noticed the victim, whom he recognized from Department of Social Services housing, seated toward the rear of the bus. Despite numerous empty seats, France walked past them and sat directly behind the victim.
Video surveillance from inside the bus showed the victim sitting calmly and facing forward when France removed a padlock attached to a strap from his pocket and repeatedly struck the victim in the head. Prosecutors said France also punched the victim several times before exiting the bus and fleeing the scene. The attack caused severe injuries, including a split ear, and the victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Responding officers recovered the padlock used in the assault, and investigators obtained the bus surveillance footage, which was presented at trial.
On October 27, 2025, following a jury trial before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei, France was convicted of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony, and Assault in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor.
France’s criminal history spans more than four decades. In 1981, he was convicted of Rape in the First Degree and Burglary in the Third Degree and sentenced to two to six years in prison. In 1985, he was convicted of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and sentenced to one and one-half to three years. In 1988, France was convicted of Murder in the Second Degree and sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
While incarcerated for the murder conviction, France was again convicted in 2005 of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree and received an additional sentence of one and one-half to three years. He remained incarcerated on the murder conviction from October 28, 1988, until August 13, 2020, when he was first released on parole. That parole was later revoked on February 3, 2023, and France was reincarcerated.
France was released on parole again on March 6, 2025. The bus assault occurred just two months later.
On December 11, 2025, based on the seriousness of the offense and France’s extensive criminal history, Justice Mazzei sentenced him to 22 years to life in prison.
Key Facts & Details
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Brian France, 62, of Coram |
| Sentence | 22 years to life in prison |
| Sentencing Date | December 11, 2025 |
| Conviction Date | October 27, 2025 |
| Convicted Charges | Assault in the Second Degree (Class D violent felony); Assault in the Third Degree (Class A misdemeanor) |
| Incident Date | May 20, 2025 |
| Incident Location | Suffolk County Transit bus traveling from Patchogue to Coram |
| Weapon Used | Padlock attached to a strap |
| Victim | Adult male passenger known to defendant from DSS housing |
| Injuries | Severe head injuries; top of victim’s ear split in half |
| Evidence | Bus surveillance video; padlock recovered at scene |
| Trial Judge | Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei |
| Defense Attorney | Chase Brown, Esq. |
| Criminal History | Prior convictions for rape, murder, burglary, grand larceny, and attempted assault |
| Parole Status | Released March 6, 2025; assault committed approximately two months later |
| Prior Incarceration | Served more than 32 years in state prison before most recent parole |
| Prosecuting Office | Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office |
