20-year-old Providence man sentenced to over two decades in prison for shooting, seriously injuring, 26-year-old man

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Providence man was sentenced in Providence County Superior Court in a shooting

20-year-old Nashon Causey entered a plea of nolo contendere to assault with a dangerous weapon, serious bodily injury resulting; discharge of a firearm resulting in injury; and carrying a pistol without a license.

At a hearing on July 8, 2022, before Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause, the Court sentenced the defendant to 45 years with 25 years to serve at the ACI and 20 years suspended with probation, which is nonprobable if violated.

“In each and every case involving gun violence, there is a victim, family, loved ones, and a community whose lives are forever altered, the only variable is to what degree,” said Attorney General Neronha. “This Office is committed to seeking justice on behalf of those who have been harmed by gun violence, and I believe that the significant sentence handed down by the Court today represents just that. I am grateful to the Providence Police Department for their continued partnership and outstanding work in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”

Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that on the evening of August 12, 2021, the defendant shot and seriously injured a 26-year-old male victim on Chalkstone Avenue following an argument.

During their investigation, detectives from the Providence Police Department determined that Nashon Causey, and a co-defendant, Kurtis Lassiter Jr., were arguing outside a restaurant on Chalkstone Avenue that evening. The argument escalated and Nashon Causey fired three shots at the victim from a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, striking him once in the abdomen.

Following the shooting, the defendants ran away and later admitted to discarding the handgun in a nearby storm drain on Camden Avenue. Investigators were never able to recover the handgun.

Following the shooting, rescue personnel transported the victim to Rhode Island Hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries.

On August 26, 2021, members of the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force apprehended Nashon Causey at a home on Orms Street, where investigators found him hiding in the attic. On September 21, 2021, the Providence Police Department apprehended Kurtis Lassiter.

The case against Kurtis Lassiter remains pending in Providence County Superior Court.

“The outcome of this case is a result of the strong law enforcement partnership between the Providence Police Department and the RI Attorney General’s Office and also serves as one of many examples that individuals who choose a life surrounded by illegal gun violence will be apprehended and prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law,” said Steven M. Paré, Providence Commissioner of Public Safety. “I commend the PPD Detectives and members of the RI Attorney General’s Office for their diligent work into the investigation and prosecution of this case.”

“The members of the Providence Police Department continue to work side by side with our law enforcement partners at the Attorney General’s Office to ensure the safety of the community and to remove dangerous criminals from our streets, such as in this case,” said Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., “I commend the members of the PPD who worked on this case and Detective Hubbard and Special Assistant Attorneys General Bittl and Jacober for leading the investigation and prosecution.”

Detective Mark Hubbard of the Providence Police Department and Special Assistant Attorneys General Alison Bittl and Amanda Jacober of the Office of the Attorney General led the investigation and prosecution of the case, with assistance from the Violent Fugitive Task Force.