A delivery driver who fatally shot a transgender woman in 2023 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised probation after he’s released from custody.

Harford County jurors acquitted Brian Delen, 48, in November of murder and manslaughter charges for the death of Meghan Riley Lewis of Bel Air. Jurors, however, convicted him on a second-degree assault charge and using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. That latter charge came with a 20-year sentence, all but 5 years of which were suspended and will run concurrently with the prison sentence.

Prosecutors had sought the maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment.

“We are obviously disappointed that the court imposed a sentence less than the maximum 30 years to serve we requested,” said Caylin Ryden, chief of administration for the State’s Attorney’s Office for Harford County, in an email. “However, we respect the court’s decision and hope that the conclusion of these matters will provide some sense of justice and closure to all of those that loved Meghan Lewis.”

Delen’s lawyers could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.

Charging documents state that Delen told police he had been making a food delivery on Dec. 28, 2023, on Churchill Road, and when he saw Lewis, he asked, “Are you waiting for a food delivery, sir?” Lewis apparently took offense to Delen misgendering her and followed Delen as he drove away, investigators said. At some point, the two got into a fight, during which Delen drew a handgun and fired a shot that hit Lewis’ left abdomen, according to police.

Lewis later died at the Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air.

Lewis was known as a trans rights community activist. Shortly after her death, Trans Maryland held a candlelight vigil in her honor. The organization’s executive director, Lee Blinder, told The Baltimore Sun at the time that Lewis was “a wonderful supporter of me personally, and we worked closely together with other transgender leaders around the state, especially when issues would arise.”

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