There is no basis for reducing defendant‘s conviction to a lesser offense in the interest of justice. While this Court has reduced convictions in the interest of justice for the purpose of correcting errors (see e.g. People v Rosale, 227 AD2d 185 [1996]), we do not consider it appropriate to do so for the purpose of granting dispensations from mandatory sentencing statutes. Concur—Mazzarelli, J.P., Saxe, Nardelli, Sweeny and McGuire, JJ.