Son of Larry Holmes Attacked

Tuesday, July 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

EASTON, Pa. (AP) â€” Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes is angry over what he considers lenient charges against two men accused of assaulting his son and two of his son's friends.

``They're lucky I didn't find them because I'd probably be in jail,'' Holmes said from his Easton office Monday. ``Nobody should be able to hit somebody with a baseball bat and get away only being charged with simple assault.''

Larry Holmes Jr., and friends Jason Black and Sean Burgio were assaulted with a baseball bat in Nazareth on Saturday afternoon. Black and Burgio were hospitalized; Black has suffered a hearing loss.

Nickoles Lambert, 18, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment. Charles Kaufmann, 52, was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct.

Holmes Jr. said Kaufmann got out of his vehicle and taunted him with a racial slur before hitting him in the arm with the bat. Police said Lambert then picked up the bat and struck Burgio and Black in the head.

Holmes is black; Kaufmann and Lambert are white.

Patrolman Russ Easley, acting supervisor of the Nazareth police, said he did not think the fight was racially motivated.