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Young accomplice in armed robbery gets 3-year sentence
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Posted on Aug 18 2011
A 21-year-old man who participated in an armed poker robbery just two months after arriving on Saipan has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Superior Court associate judge David A. Wiseman on Wednesday sentenced Alston H. Santos to four years in prison, all suspended except for three years, for conspiring to commit robbery. Santos was also sentenced to six months for disturbing the peace.
Both sentences are to run concurrently; he was also given credit for time served. Santos’ release date is March 16, 2015. He pleaded guilty to both charges as part of a plea deal.
Wiseman said that Santos’ relatively lenient sentence is due in part to his being a non-violent offender.
The plea agreement stated that on Aug. 30, 2010, Santos and Terrence Fitial conspired to rob S.V. Poker. In that incident, Terrence Fitial assaulted the security guard with a knife. Santos was armed with a Japanese sword. The guard sustained deep cuts on the left thumb and left forearm, but he managed to disarm Terrence Fitial during the struggle.
On Aug. 28, 2010, Calvin Fitial robbed a store, during which Santos helped carry away a couple of bottles of alcohol.
Wiseman said that Santos has no criminal history either as a juvenile or adult.
“This was his first crime which he was allegedly dragged into by two uncles who were the main culprits and are now doing extended prison terms,” said Wiseman, referring to Calvin Fitial and Terrence Fitial who are now serving six years and 10 years, respectively.
The judge said that Santos’ participation in these crimes were minimal and that he has shown remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions.
Defense counsel Joseph Horey had recommended a sentence of one year in prison; assistant attorney general Russell Lorfing had recommended five years.
The judge found the Office of Adult Probation’s recommendation of three years in prison to be the appropriate sentence.
Lorfing said that Santos grew up in Palau and had only been on Saipan for two months when he joined co-defendants in the two armed robbery incidents.
Horrey said his client, Santos, was led into crime by relatives, Terrence and Calvin Fitial, both troublemakers of long standing.
