A Springfield man who punched and robbed a 74-year-old stranger at a downtown bus stop last September is now headed to state prison, after the victim's own quick thinking helped put him behind bars. Dajay Joselyn-Peart, 28, was sentenced on September 24 to three to five years in state prison on an unarmed robbery charge, following a jury conviction on four separate counts tied to the attack on James Syner, a 74-year-old Springfield resident.
According to the Hampden District Attorney's Office, a shirtless Joselyn-Peart approached Syner at a downtown bus stop on Main Street in September 2025, demanding “the shirt off his back” before punching him, snatching his phone as he tried to dial 911, and throwing him to the ground. Syner had just finished his work shift when the confrontation began, per the same account. Prosecutors say Joselyn-Peart also took Syner's baseball hat and attacked him again as the pair moved through downtown Springfield.
Victim Shadowed Attacker to Police Headquarters
Rather than losing track of the man who robbed him, Syner secretly followed Joselyn-Peart through downtown Springfield to Worthington Street, directly behind Springfield Police headquarters, where he flagged down officers who were leaving the building during a shift change. Police headquarters spans the stretch between Pearl Street and Worthington Street, the district attorney's office notes. Officers recovered Syner's hat and cell phone from Joselyn-Peart, and Syner identified his attacker at the scene.
The case went to trial over five days in Hampden Superior Court, where a jury convicted Joselyn-Peart on September 16 on four counts: unarmed robbery of a person 60 or older, assault and battery on a person 60 or older, intimidation of a witness, and larceny from a person 65 or older. Assistant District Attorney Nina Vivenzio prosecuted the case for the Commonwealth, with victim witness advocate Lauren Musa assisting Syner throughout the proceedings.
Prosecutors Sought Longer Term Than Judge Imposed
Prosecutors had requested an eight-to-10-year state prison sentence on the robbery charge, but the Hampden Superior Court judge imposed three to five years, paired with three years of probation on the intimidation and larceny counts. On the assault and battery charge, the Commonwealth requested, and the judge imposed, a sentence of two and a half to three years in state prison. The defense had sought a lighter outcome of two years on the robbery charge with two years of probation on the remaining counts.
District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni said the conviction reflected Syner's own determination along with effective law enforcement work and a justice system that functioned as it should for the community, per the district attorney's statement. Syner attended the sentencing and expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the case, specifically thanking victim witness advocate Lauren Musa.
Elder Robbery Carries Steep Penalties Under State Law
Massachusetts law treats robbery and theft against older residents with notably harsher penalties than standard offenses. Under Chapter 265, Section 19(a), unarmed robbery of a person 60 or older is a felony carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum two-year term for repeat offenders, according to H. Ernest Stone, Attorney PC. Separately, larceny from a person 60 or older under Chapter 266, Section 30(5) carries up to 10 years in state prison for property valued over $250 — double the maximum for standard larceny, the firm notes.
The Hampden District Attorney's Office runs a dedicated Elders and Persons with Disabilities Abuse Unit, which Vivenzio is part of, coordinating community outreach including the Education Against Senior Exploitation program and a 24/7 hotline for reporting elder mistreatment. The unit collaborates with local agencies such as Greater Springfield Senior Services, according to the district attorney's office.
This is not the only case of its kind to hit downtown Springfield's Main Street corridor in recent memory. In November 2025, Hoodline reported that police arrested a 38-year-old suspect, who had dozens of prior arraignments, for a series of street robberies and purse-snatchings targeting elderly women along Main Street and Bond Street.
Elder abuse is generally underreported. Public health and criminal justice research cited by ETHOS indicates that fear of retaliation and physical vulnerability can deter older victims from reporting abuse. ETHOS cites 2011 figures indicating Massachusetts advocacy organizations received roughly 54 reports of suspected elder abuse daily, with physical abuse and financial exploitation among the most common categories, the group notes.
