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The Maui News
WAILUKU -- Saying a defendant put drugs ahead of himself, a judge has sentenced a man to a five-month jail term for stealing credit cards and other belongings from the beach while the owners were surfing.
Clayton Redding III, 37, said he had been working with Child Welfare Services to reunify his family after he was released from jail on supervision in December. He said he had been making arrangements for his family, including his pregnant wife, to return to Tennessee.
"I did mess up my opportunity by missing a couple of appointments because I put my family ahead of me," he said at his sentencing March 6. "I wanted to make sure they got back. I put my family ahead of myself."
About 10 days after his release from jail, Redding tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine use, said Deputy Prosecutor Carson Tani.
"That kind of snowballed" into Redding not showing up for appointments, Tani said.
Second Circuit Judge Rhonda Loo said it was interesting that Redding talked about putting his family ahead of himself.
"I think you put cocaine and methamphetamine ahead of yourself," she told Redding. "And that was more important to you than anything.
"You should have thought about reuniting Cynthia and Christina Yang with their credit cards, driver's license and iPhone."
The Yangs' belongings were stolen from the beach while they were surfing at Launiupoko on Aug. 22.
The credit cards were used at various businesses in Lahaina before Redding was caught at Taco Bell.
Redding had pleaded no contest to second-degree theft, third-degree theft, two counts of unauthorized possession of confidential personal information and two counts of credit card theft.
As part of his sentence, he was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service as part of four years' probation.
Redding was given credit for more than three months he already had spent in jail.
He was ordered to write letters apologizing to the Yangs.
A case is pending against co-defendant Ricky Johnson.
In another sentencing March 6, a 75-year-old Kula woman was placed on one year's probation for participating with her daughter in a plan to steal merchandise from a Kahului store.
Linda Texeira was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
She had pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of third-degree theft of more than $500 in merchandise Oct. 5, 2015, to Jan. 11, 2016, while her daughter was working as a cashier at TJ Maxx.
An investigation showed her daughter charged Texeira for less expensive items while also placing in her bag more expensive items from behind the counter that Texeira didn't pay for.
Texeira was "truly remorseful," said defense attorney Mark Simonds.
He said part of the motivation for the theft was to help her son, who is now off the streets and living on family property.
Simonds said Texeira had led a law-abiding life except for prior theft convictions in 1978 and 1980, "which was for all intents and purposes a lifetime ago."
Judge Loo noted that more than 30 items were stolen, including handbags, women's clothing and wrapping paper. "Ninety percent of it was for you folks," Loo said.
"If you truly wanted to help your son out with his homelessness, don't steal," Loo told Texeira. "You give him a home, you give him shelter."
Texeira was ordered not to enter TJ Maxx and to write a letter apologizing to the business.
The store had been paid back, said Deputy Prosecutor Annalisa Bernard Lee.