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Man in poker robbery gets 8 years
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Posted on Nov 01 2000
U.S. District Judge Alex R. Munson yesterday sentenced another defendant to the poker robbery case to eight years in prison, a severe penalty he said would send a strong signal to the community against felony crimes.
Kenneth Teigita Dowai, 23, was the second sent to jail for the crime that implicated five others, including 19-year-old Sidney Capelle Kani who was given 35-month prison term last week.
The judge also sentenced Kenneth to three-years probation, 500 hours of drug treatment program and 300 hours of community service.
As restitution, he would share with the other defendants payment of $6,717 to three victims of the two robbery incidents that took place last January on Saipan.
Kenneth pleaded guilty last July to one count each of robbery, conspiracy to commit offense, and gun possession. In exchange for the plea, the federal government agreed to drop another conspiracy charge.
If convicted by a jury in a trial, he would have faced a maximum 47 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000 and supervised release of three years after serving the sentence.
The deal with prosecutors also called for him to enter guilty pleas to various local offenses stemming from the same incidents, but that any penalties imposed on him, such as incarceration, would run concurrent with the federal punishment and not exceed the sentence meted out by the District Court.
Based on court papers, Kenneth and, along with four others, robbed Sun Poker of approximately $2,000 after beating its cashier Elahi Md. Ashik on Jan. 6.
They also robbed nearby establishment, LJ’s store, of $200 after pointing a .22 caliber rifle to cashier Huang Lin Mei on Jan. 26. The store is owned by Kim You Kyong.
Mr. Ashik will receive $800, Ms. Huang $817 and Mr. Kim $5,100 from all the six defendants.
Aside from the two already sentenced, Juan Dela Cruz Cango, 19; Juan Teigita, 22; Rodney Demei, 22 and Jeffery Tegei, 21, had also admitted their guilt and are scheduled to be sentenced in the next few weeks.
They were arrested last May by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police after an investigation was conducted on the robberies. (BS)
