Queens man sentenced to 115 years to life for killing NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller
Guy Rivera, 36, was sentenced following his conviction on charges of aggravated manslaughter, attempted murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
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A man convicted in the fatal shooting of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller was sentenced today at Queens Criminal Courthouse, facing the equivalent of life in prison after a judge ordered all counts to run consecutively.
Guy Rivera, 36, was sentenced following his conviction on charges of aggravated manslaughter, attempted murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Under the sentence imposed, Rivera faces a minimum of 115 years to life in prison, based on mandatory minimums for each conviction.
The aggravated manslaughter conviction carries a minimum sentence of 25 years to life. The attempted murder charge carries a minimum of 40 years to life. Each count of criminal possession of a weapon carries a minimum of 25 years to life. The judge ordered all sentences to be served consecutively, not concurrently.
Det. Diller's wife, Stephanie Diller, addressed Rivera at his sentencing.
"That day, a bullet did not just take my husband, Jonathan. It tore through our entire life," she said. "I did not get to be there when his life ended. I did not get to hold his hand. I did not get to say goodbye. I did not get to give him the love and the peace he deserved in his final moments."
Rivera did not speak at his sentencing.
His attorney told the judge he'd advised him not to speak due to "appeal issues."
"I will no longer think of you. I will only carry Jonathan in my heart, raise our son, and honor the love the three of us shared," Stephanie told Rivera. "He mattered, his life mattered, and I will spend the rest of mine making sure he is never reduced to the moment he was taken from us."
Rivera was convicted on April 1 following a highly emotional trial that included a moment of courtroom confusion, when a juror briefly disputed the verdict before the panel was sent back to deliberate. Jurors ultimately reaffirmed their decision, acquitting Rivera of first‑degree murder but convicting him on the lesser and still serious charges.
Prosecutors argued the shooting was neither accidental nor impulsive. “Guy Rivera was not only armed with an illegal weapon — he was ready and willing to use it,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said after the verdict. Defense attorneys maintained there was no evidence Rivera intended to kill a police officer.
Detective Diller, of Massapequa Park, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Queens two years ago. He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and their young son. A second suspect in the case, Lindy Jones, still needs to be tried for his alleged role.
