A former Massachusetts fire captain, his wife, and their son pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to minors, which led to the death of a young man who had just left their home. David A. Holman, 19, died after the car he was driving flipped over and hit a tree on July 29, 2007. Police learned that he had been drinking at the home of Edgar Lesko, who was then a fire caption in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Lesko, 53, his wife Deborah, 52, and their son Andrew, 21, each pleaded guilty to four counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor. Andrew, who was under 21 at the time of the accident, also pleaded guilty to one count of procuring liquor for someone under the age of 21.
The court heard that Andrew has illegally purchased a 30-pack of beer and a bottle of liquor and was drinking the alcohol with a group of underage friends when his parents got home. Edgar and Deborah both knew that the teens were drinking at their home. Andrew and another underage friend were at the scene of the accident when police arrived, and police later found empty beer cans and a half-empty bottle of rum at the Lesko home.
Police asked Edgar Lesko if he wanted to return to the accident scene so he could drive his son’s car home, but Edgar said he was too drunk to drive. Edgar’s lawyer said that his client suffers from a severe bi-polar disorder that forced him to leave the Northampton Fire Department for several months prior to the accident. He was put on administrative leave after the fatality but has since retired from the department.
Tina and Jeffrey Holman, David’s parents, each described their devastation at the loss of their son. “One of the joys in my life was watching David become a fine young man,” his mother said.
She continued, “My hopes and dreams for his future were starting to come true. David had a yearning for life, and it was so much fun listening to him, watching him, and enjoying him as he was just getting started. All of this has been taken away from me and has devastated me.”
Jeffrey explained that the trauma of their son’s death had caused him and his wife to divorce. “Our family has basically been destroyed by this tragic event,” he said.
Andrew, who had known David since sixth grade, broke down and sobbed as the Holmans spoke. His lawyer asked the judge to accept his client’s plea without a guilty finding to avoid putting his college scholarship at risk. He also said that Andrew, former captain of the Northampton High School football team, has volunteered to speak with high school football players about his experience to warn others about underage drinking.
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