Four Occupy Wall Street protesters collared for breaking into a vacant Williamsburg building and throwing a destructive party copped plea deals in Brooklyn Supreme Court today that land them 105 hours of community service and $500 in restitution.
The four radicals could have faced seven years in prison for their role in the illegal bash, which injured three responding police officers.
Zachary Dempster, 32, Robert Nilon, 26, Emma Engle, 21, and Matthew Whitely, 25, had been charged with riot, assault, and resisting arrest but so long as they stay out of trouble for six months, all felony charges will be dropped.
“I hope that they continue what some call ‘the good fight,’ but in a less violent manner,” said Assistant District Attorney Lewis Lieberman.
The suspects’ lawyer, Martin Stolar, said of the deal, “It represents a compromise. The DA and the police did not want to take the risk of the defendants getting acquitted, and the defendants didn’t want to take the risk of getting a felony.”
Nilon, who was accompanied to court by a pretty gal pal and also has a pending assault charge in Pennsylvania, said, “I’m glad to have this over.”