An eastern Pennsylvania man and a teenager were each sentenced to two- to four-year terms in state prison in the beating death of a 63-year-old man last summer.
The sentences were imposed Monday in Carbon County Court on 26-year-old Joseph Roscioli, of Palmerton, and 18-year-old Michael Harrison, of West Easton. They were charged in the death of Richard Higgins II, of Easton, who was removed from life support more than three weeks after the June 2007 beating in Palmerton.
The defendants went on trial on felony charges but pleaded guilty to misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Higgins' son has said he and his father went to Palmerton to buy a car for the younger Higgins to fix up with his 12-year-old son. Witnesses said the fight started when Higgins accused the defendants of throwing a container of iced tea at his car.
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