Criminal “mastermind” sentenced to prison

POUGHKEEPSIE – A 47-year-old man was sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in a violent home invasion by Dutchess County Court Judge Edward McLoughlin on January 24, 2024.  Poughkeepsie resident Miguel Lora had entered a guilty plea in exchange for a reduced sentence in October, just a week prior to his trial on the felony charges.

Dutchess County Senior Assistant District Attorney Scott Johnson prosecuted Lora, who was considered the “mastermind” of a Pleasant Valley home invasion by a group of assailants, and was arrested during a series of raids by multiple law enforcement agencies in March 2023.  Lora, a convicted felon, was one of the targets of the investigation.

After admitting before Judge McLoughlin in October that he was guilty of felony burglary and criminal possession of a weapon during the home invasion, he also admitted that he had violated the terms of his probation for criminal possession of a weapon.

As a result of the guilty pleas and admission, the judge sentenced Lora to 17 years in prison for the burglary conviction, 15 years on the weapons plea, and 1.5 to 4 years for the probation violation.  All three sentences are to be served concurrently and Lora is required to abide by 10 years of post-release supervision.

McLoughlin also ordered the repeat felon to pay $30,000 to the victim in restitution as part of his sentence.

“The evidence showed that, while serving a probation sentence for criminal possession of a firearm, Miguel Lora organized and led a gunpoint home invasion that left his victims alive, but terrified,” said Senior ADA Johnson.  “During a subsequent search of Lora’s City of Poughkeepsie residence,” Johnson said, “police found Lora to illegally possess two loaded handguns and an assault rifle.”  Following the sentencing, Johnson said, “Needless to say, these were outrageous violations of Lora’s court-ordered probation,” while acknowledging his satisfaction with the sentencing handed…