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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- A Blair County man was sentenced Friday to a combined 18.5 to 37 years in prison during two sentencing hearings addressing his role in the 2022 brutal assault of a fellow county prison inmate and his role in a 2021 home invasion in Tyrone to steal marijuana and cash.
Kyler B. Luckadoo, 22, who has been in the county prison for three years, will serve 10 to 20 years' incarceration, followed by 10 years' probation, for aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and related offenses in connection with the inmate assault.
He will serve an additional 8.5 to 17 years for burglary, firearm and related offenses in connection with the home invasion.
Luckadoo, who spoke at both of his sentencing hearings, apologized for his behavior and spoke of a desire to move on "from this dark period of his life" when his actions were influenced by drug and alcohol use.
At the time of the Jan. 21, 2021, home invasion in Tyrone -- when Luckadoo and co-defendant Jason Sanderlin armed themselves with firearms and Sanderlin kicked in the door to rob the residents of a quarter pound of marijuana and cash -- Luckadoo described himself as under the influence of drugs.
On Sept. 15, 2022, when a county prison inmate was brutally assaulted in an E-block cell and left with life-changing facial and eye injuries, Luckadoo said he was "very very intoxicated" and didn't care about anything.
"I was just worried about getting drunk on E-block and having fun," he told Judge Jackie Bernard, who imposed the sentence of 10 to 20 years, followed by 10 years probation.
First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith played portions of prison video for Bernard and asked for a sentence of 13 to 26 years' incarceration.
While the victim wasn't in court, Smith told the judge that he remains affected by what happened, when every bone in his face was broken during what was his first stint in the county prison.
Prior to the beating, prison video recorded E-block inmates milling about the block with cups of what was identified as prison hooch.
It also showed inmate Richard Ewing getting then corrections officer Eric Dostal to unlock a cell door, allowing John Allen Jukes, Delano Brown, Korey Sitton and Luckadoo to enter. Testimony during a jury trial for Ewing and Jukes revealed that they wanted to confiscate an inmate's commissary items and that a fight developed inside the cell.
While prison cameras didn't capture the beating, they recorded the inmates leaving the cell, then celebrating outside the cell, with back-slapping, fist-bumping and high-fiving motions.
Smith told Bernard that Luckadoo was accused of delivering the last two blows to a victim already suffering because of the blows delivered by others. Bernard told Luckadoo that she found that to be concerning.
"Your action showed a complete lack of human empathy," the judge said.
Defense attorney Dan Kiss asked Bernard to consider a lesser sentence. He pointed to Luckadoo's young age -- 19 at the time of the offense. He described him as more of a follower than a leader and said he was influenced by Ewing and Jukes.
Kiss also asked the judge to consider that others, in addition to Dostal, permitted the creation of this kind of unacceptable setting.
"It's stunning to me that this conduct occurred," Kiss said. "Our prison has to do a whole lot better."
Bernard acknowledged that argument but said it didn't excuse Luckadoo's behavior.
Smith didn't accept it either and pointed out that not all the E-block inmates go into the cell where the victim was beaten.
"But Mr. Luckadoo does," Smith said.
President Judge Wade Kagarise handed down the sentence for the offenses related to the home invasion in Tyrone, including firearm offenses.
District Attorney Pete Weeks played surveillance video for Kagarise showing the armed Sanderlin and Luckadoo climbing steps to a landing, and Sanderlin kicking the door open. Then he and Luckadoo entered and started yelling at the residents before stealing their marijuana and cash.
An investigation into the incident led to charges against Sanderlin, Luckadoo and against James Johnson-Ross, who was accused of orchestrating the trio's criminal activity.
While Weeks asked Kagarise to impose 10 to 20 years for Luckadoo's crimes in the home invasion, defense attorney Kristen Anastasi proposed 4.5 to nine years.
"Sanderlin got four years in this case and he's the one who kicked open the door and assaulted a female," Anastasi told Kagarise.
Anastasi also pointed out that before the home invasion, Luckadoo's criminal activity consisted of juvenile offenses, when his judgment and reasoning were not fully developed.
Kagarise, after reviewing supportive letters written by Luckadoo's family members, said he couldn't ignore Luckadoo's actions in a serious situation where somebody could have been killed.
Kagarise also pointed out to Luckadoo that he had a chance, after being arrested on the home invasion charges, to change his behavior, but he instead got involved in the inmate beating at the county prison.
Outside court, Weeks said Luckadoo got a much lower sentence on the home invasion case than he should have.
"But the overall sentence removes him from the community and provides protection for society," Weeks said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.