Felon Peter Rodriguez was granted a plea deal of only three and a half years in prison for the hit-and-run death of George Gibbons, a punishment far less severe than the “life without parole” sentence which younger sister Bernadette Gibbons was hoping for.

The Gibbons family in Queens, New York, is outraged following the plea deal offer for the killer of George Gibbons. 

Gibbons was on his way home from closing up his new bar, The Gibbons’ Home in Maspeth, when the horrific accident occurred. Both his family and the Irish community in the area was distraught upon hearing of George Gibbons death, and instantly banded together to find justice for George.

The Queens Ledger reports on the verdict in the Rodriguez case. As part of a plea deal, Rodriguez will only face a miniscule three and a half years in prison for his crime, despite facing a series of charges including “second-degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident and criminally negligent homicide.”

The most serious charge, manslaughter, carries a punishment of anywhere from three to fifteen years behind bars, says The Queen Ledger.

George Gibbons died instantly when Rodriguez hit the cab that Gibbons was riding in head-on on a one-way section of the Long Island Expressway. Rodriguez fled the scene that claimed Gibbons’ life during the early hours of October 15th of last year. 

Rodriguez was later found and arrested for Gibbons’ death in Connecticut.

Rodriguez is no stranger to crime. “Since 1992 he was charged with 10 felonies and nine misdemeanors, according to records obtained by this paper. He was convicted on four of the felony charges and two of the misdemeanors,” writes The Queen Ledger.

“Everything was really looking up for him, he was in a really happy place,” said George’s younger sister, Bernadette, following her brother’s untimely death.

The case has been adjourned until April 20th when Rodriguez is expected to be officially offered the plea deal, say sources close to the case. Rodriguez will then be sentenced on May 4th, the same day the Gibbons family is expected to make a statement.

"It'll influence him when he does come up for parole,” said Bernadette Gibbons. “At least now we know the next [court] day is going to be substantial.”