Robert Gouveia, Jr., 25, who has been incarcerated since his arrest in February, was recently sentenced to a 10-year term of imprisonment for robbery in the second degree. Gouveia used force upon and threatened the use of force against an
Robert Gouveia, Jr., 25, who has been incarcerated since his arrest in February, was recently sentenced to a 10-year term of imprisonment for robbery in the second degree.
Gouveia used force upon and threatened the use of force against an employee of the Lihu‘e 7-Eleven store on Kuhio Highway in an early morning robbery in mid-February.
He pleaded guilty the next month, according to representatives from the county prosecuting attorney’s office.
In another case, James Erese, 23, of Lihu‘e, was sentenced to a five-year prison term for unlawful use or possession of drug paraphernalia, and was re-sentenced to a five-year prison term for violating probation on a felony negligent homicide conviction.
Erese was arrested by Kaua‘i Police Department officers who responded to Erese’s home to investigate a criminal-property-damage case.
During the investigation, officers observed signs of drug use, including items of drug paraphernalia.
Erese’s drug use and convictions for the drug paraphernalia and petty misdemeanor criminal-property-damage charges were violations of the conditions of his probation on the earlier, negligent-homicide conviction, prosecutors said.
Judge Clifford Nakea ordered that Erese’s prison terms run concurrently, so Erese will serve a maximum of five years.
In another case this week, a jury delivered a guilty verdict on an escape charge in the second degree in the trial of Dana Gonsalves, 38, of Lihu‘e.
The jury found Gonsalves not guilty of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle and theft in the fourth degree.
Escape in the second degree is a Class-C felony punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Nakea set sentencing for Thursday, July 29.
The charges stem from a March 5 incident when Gonsalves ran from the Lihu‘e courthouse and hid in a nearby car after being informed that he was under arrest pursuant to two Grand Jury indictment warrants.
At the trial, Gonsalves admitted to making the decision to run, and that he informed his sister ahead of time.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jennifer S. Winn prosecuted the case for the state. Deputy Public Defender James Itamura represented Gonsalves.
