Narcy Novack

Defendant

• Narcy Novack (55 at conviction)
• Cristobal Veliz (59 at conviction)

Status

Narcy Novack was sentenced to life in prison without parole on December 16, 2012.

Trial and convictions

Narcy Novack and her brother, Cristobal Veliz, were convicted in June of the brutal death of Ben Novack Jr. and were also found guilty of ordering the deadly attack on Bernice Novack.

Narcy Novack refused to be in the courtroom to hear her sentence and waived her right to be present. She appeared dressed in blue prison garb with her long graying hair tied by two rubber bands in a pony tail. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas asked her:

“You want to absent yourself from this sentencing?”

She answered:

“Yes, I do.”

Deputy U.S. Marshals led her out of the courtroom through a side door. Karas said her refusal to be in the court was evidence she was a coward, and he stated:

“Her final act of cowardice was walking out of this courtroom today,”

Veliz continued to deny his guilt. As he did during the trial, Veliz repeatedly blamed Narcy Novack’s daughter for the crimes. He stated:

“The real criminal, the one who arranged this whole thing, was May Abad. They have no evidence against me. I don't know what I'm doing here.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Jacobson said:

“There is absolutely nothing in the evidence to indicate that Ms. Abad was involved in these homicides,”

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said after sentencing:

“Narcy Novack and her brother, Cristobal Veliz, have blood on their hands and unspeakable acts of violence to their names,”

and:

“And they will spend the rest of their lives in prison answering for what they did in the name of money.”

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said after sentencing:

“Narcy Novack and Cristobal Veliz are finally being held accountable for their gruesome and brutal conduct,”

and:

“It was pure greed that drove their evil scheme to steal millions of dollars from the Novack family by murdering Ben Novack Jr. (and) his elderly mother Bernice Novack.”

Sentencing (December 16, 2012)

Narcy Novack and her brother, Cristobal Veliz, were sentenced to life in prison on December 16, 2012, during a federal court proceeding in White Plains, N.Y.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas told the crowded courtroom that he had never handed out such stiff sentences. He stated that because of Ms. Novack’s greed and selfishness and what he characterized as her ability to manipulate others, there were two dead people—her husband and her mother-in-law. Assistant U.S.

“The defendants are pathological liars. They are extraordinarily dangerous sociopaths,”

and:

“They are responsible for the death of two innocent human beings and they must be made to pay.”

Karas also said:

“Because of Ms. Novack's greed and her selfishness and what she thought was her ability to manipulate others there are two innocent people -- her husband and her mother-in-law -- who are dead.”

Karas further said that refusal to be in the court was evidence of cowardice. He also said:

“She lived a life of privilege,”

and:

“If she had a marriage she wasn't happy with . . . she could have gotten a divorce.”

Jacobson and prosecutors sought life sentences, and prosecutors argued that the defendants were responsible for the death of two people.

Narcy Novack’s attorney, Howard Tanner, stated after court that his client intended to appeal the verdict and the sentence. Tanner said:

“The sentence was not unexpected,”

and:

“She still asserts her innocence.”

In sentencing remarks reported from after court, Karas called the crimes “vile.”

Appeals

• Howard Tanner said after court that Narcy Novack intended to appeal the verdict and the sentence.

The offence (homicides and ordering attack)

Ben Novack Jr. (husband)

Prosecutors argued that Narcy Novack wanted her estranged husband Ben Novack Jr. dead so she could inherit money. Her motives were described as greed, selfishness, and what the judge characterized as her ability to manipulate others.

Ben Novack Jr. was beaten to death with dumbbells by hit men sent by Narcy Novack and her brother-in-law during a July 12, 2009 attack at the Rye Brook Hilton.

Ben Novack Jr. was bound with duct tape and beaten to death during the attack.

Federal prosecutors said Narcy Novack recruited Veliz and a group of henchmen. The killers testified that they beat Ben Novack Jr. in the head with a plumber’s wrench and sliced the eyes of Ben Novack.

Bernice Novack (mother-in-law)

Narcy Novack and her brother were also found guilty of ordering the deadly attack on Bernice Novack.

Bernice Novack was beaten to death with a plumber’s wrench during an attack by a Veliz accomplice on April 4, 2009.

Investigation and evidence (as described during trial and reporting)

Prosecutors described evidence including:

• bank and credit card receipts,
• cellphone records,
• wire transfers,
• and a damaging video from an ATM showing Veliz withdrawing cash en route to New York with the killers following him.

Other people named and roles

• May Abad: Narcy Novack’s daughter; Veliz repeatedly blamed her and claimed she “arranged this whole thing.” Prosecutors said there was “absolutely nothing in the evidence” indicating she was involved in the homicides.
• Rebecca Bliss: described as a onetime porn star and the alleged romantic partner of Ben Novack Jr.; she testified about an affair and described statements about another woman “If she couldn't have him, no other woman was going to have him.”
• Alejandro Garcia: testified as a hit man involved in the Bernice Novack killing; he described hiding near Bernice Novack’s garage and beating her with a monkey wrench.
• Joel Gonzalez: described as a hired accomplice involved with Ben Novack Jr.; prosecutors said he beat Ben Novack to death with dumbbells.
• Preet Bharara: U.S. Attorney who made statements after sentencing.
• Elliott Jacobson: Assistant U.S. Attorney who made statements in connection with sentencing and argued about May Abad’s lack of involvement.
• Janet DiFiore: Westchester County District Attorney.
• Kenneth Karas: U.S. District Judge who sentenced both defendants.

Key quotations (verbatim)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Jacobson said Monday:

and:

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas asked Narcy Novack:

Narcy Novack answered:

Karas stated:

Veliz stated:

Elliott Jacobson stated:

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said after the sentencing:

and:

DiFiore said:

and:

Other details (inheritance motive and estate references)

Prosecutors said the family fortune was estimated at $8 million.

Prosecutors argued that Narcy Novack wanted Ben Novack Jr. and Bernice Novack dead so she could inherit the family fortune, and they described fear that Ben Novack Jr. would leave her for ex-porn actress Rebecca Bliss and that a prenuptial agreement would limit her to $65,000.

During sentencing reporting, Karas spoke about Narcy Novack’s privilege and the effect of a divorce alternative.

Narcy Novack and Veliz were acquitted of felony murder, which in a federal case requires the victim to be robbed as well as killed.

Both were convicted of multiple counts relating to plotting the killings.