NORRISTOWN, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — The three men convicted in a deadly Lower Merion home invasion in December of last year received life sentences in court Thursday.
Charles Fulforth and Kelvin Roberts showed no emotion as they were the life sentences, and the latter even winked at TV cameras as he was led from the courtroom. The 42-year-old Roberts and 41-year-old Fulforth received life plus 120 years, and Jeremy Fuentes, their 27-year-old conspirator, got life plus four to 20 years.
The trio was behind the fatal robbery on Dec. 8, 2024 in Lower Merion that ended in the shooting death of 25-year-old Andrew Gaudio and paralyzing of his mother Bernadette.
Roberts and Fulforth were targeting a house in Bucks County to rob of guns, tipped off to them by their co-worker Fuentes, but they ended up at the Gaudio’s house in Lower Merion by mistake.
Prosecutor Ed McCann said despite realizing they were in the wrong home, the men still opened fire.
“They had to recognize fairly early on that night that what they came there for wasn't there, and instead it's plow forward with the gratuitous violence,” said McCann.
Andrew was shot multiple times and killed, and Bernadette was also shot multiple times, but managed to call the police using voice command on her phone.
Andrew’s brother Robert remembered him alongside his mother after the sentencing.
“Andrew was a compassionate, curious beloved person, a kid of many nicknames,” he said. “And we’ll remember him forever. That's the most important part.”
Robert told the three men the family chose not to seek the death penalty, “not out of noble compassion,” but instead because “there’s a fate worse than death, being forgotten,” which he told the three they will be once they go to prison.