Previous Story
Poker suspect enters plea agreement
|
Posted on Jul 31 2000
Another defendant to the poker robbery case in the U.S. District Court reached a plea agreement on Friday with federal prosecutors, leaving four others to face a jury trial in two weeks.
Kenneth Teigita Dowai, 23, pled guilty to one count each of robbery, conspiracy to commit offense, and gun possession in connection with two robbery incidents that occurred on Saipan last January.
In exchange for the plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to drop another conspiracy charge and to recommend jail term of less than eight years to run concurrently for all three counts.
If convicted by a jury, Kenneth 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 agreement 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.
He will also be tapped as state witness against four of his friends implicated in the string of robberies on the island. If he provides “substantial assistance” to the prosecution of the case, the district attorneys will recommend much lower punishment during the sentencing set for October 31.
Kenneth is the second of the six defendants charged in the robbery of Sun Poker arcade and LJ’s store on Jan. 6 and Jan. 26, respectively, fleeing with $2,200 in cash after poking gun and harming their cashiers.
His plea bargaining came a week following similar move by Sidney Capelle Kani, 19, who could be sentenced to a less severe seven-year imprisonment for admitting his guilt to two robbery charges. He will be sentenced on Oct. 24.
Their co-accused: Juan Dela Cruz Cango, 19; Juan Teigita, 22; Rodney Demei, 22 and Jeffery Tegei, 21, have pled not guilty to the charges of robbery, conspiracy and illegal possession of firearm and are set to go on trial on Aug. 14.
The suspects were arrested last May by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police after an investigation was conducted on the robberies.
