Man gets 20 years in prison for robbery

“If you rob a poker room, you are going to spend time in jail.”

Superior Court judge Kenneth Govendo yesterday sent a strong message against poker robbery, imposing a 20-year prison term on a man who had pleaded guilty to robbing a Garapan poker establishment and injuring an employee.

While the court should consider possible rehabilitation of offenders, Govendo stressed that punishment also awaits them. The judge convicted Moses Martin, who had pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon.

But Govendo partially suspended the prison term, reducing Martin’s actual jail time to eight years. The judge gave credit to the time Martin had already spent in jail for one year and six days. He said, though, that Martin should serve at least three years and four months without the possibility of parole or probation.

Govendo also slapped Martin with a $500 fine and ordered the defendant to perform 200 hours of community service.

Martin and two others, Vincent Norita and Vincent Castro, went inside the RC’s Poker on Beach Road, Garapan on June 14, 2004 and injured poker attendant Zen Bin Li. Armed with a machete and bat, the group took a few thousand dollars from the establishment and Zen’s wallet containing cash.

The judge imposed the sentence on Martin despite the defendant’s assertion that his juvenile delinquencies should not be considered in the criminal case. Defense attorney Danilo Aguilar said the case is Martin’s first criminal conviction.

But the judge pointed out that it was actually Martin who brandished the machete and placed it on the victim’s neck.

Assistant attorney general Janine Udui said that, until now, the poker attendant still fears working at night, even though he is already in China. “It was just sheer luck that the victim did not die,” the prosecutor said.

The court also sentenced Norita, who had pleaded guilty to robbery, to five years in prison. The judge suspended the prison term, except for two years, giving the defendant credit for the one week that he had already spent in jail.

The judge directed Norita to perform 200 hours of community service, and serve three years of probation. He also imposed a $500 fine on Norita.

Norita, who claimed he was simply dragged by the group to rob the poker establishment and was unarmed during the heist, expressed remorse and sobbed before Govendo sentenced him. The judge said he would recommend Norita for parole if he behaves well in prison.

Earlier, the court had convicted and sentenced defendant Castro on a charge of robbery.