WAILUKU - A 21-year-old Kula man who robbed a friend at gunpoint and broke into a stranger's Pukalani home was sentenced June 22 to five years' probation and was credited for the 247 days he has already spent in jail.
Second Circuit Judge Rhonda Loo ordered Keahi Tamanaha to stay away from the victims and their families as well as write them a letter of apology.
"You treat strangers and treat friends the same way, with no respect and no regard for their feelings," Loo told Tamanaha. "I don't know what you were on or what was going on in your head."
Deputy Prosecutor Jeffrey Temas said that in one of the cases, Tamanaha held a gun to a friend's face and demanded money.
Temas said the victim had met up with Tamanaha because he was supposed to return money to him.
The victim was able to get away when he threw money out of a vehicle window and drove away while Tamanaha went to retrieve it.
In the other case, Tamanaha broke into a Pukalani home where a 66-year-old woman was housesitting.
The victim said Tamanaha told her that he was running away from someone. But the victim said Tamanaha had a cellphone with him and could have called police.
According to court records Tamanaha shoved and kicked the female victim.
For the two separate cases, Tamanaha pleaded no contest to second-degree robbery reduced from first-degree robbery, first-degree terroristic threatening, promotion of a harmful drug in the fourth degree, unauthorized entry into a dwelling, harassment and fourth-degree criminal property damage.
The robbery occurred on Oct. 18, and the break-in happened on Sept. 11, court records show.
In an unrelated case, 22-year-old Ruel Ancheta of Wailuku was sentenced on June 22 to five years' probation and fined $400 for stealing a credit card number and using it to pay his cellphone bills.
Judge Loo said that she "reluctantly" granted Ancheta a chance to clear his record if he successfully completes probation.
Loo told Ancheta that she would give him a chance to clear his record if he told his employer, Carl's Jr., after sentencing that he had committed the crime while at work. During sentencing, Loo was informed that Carl's Jr. did not know yet of the incident.
Ancheta said that he would look for another job, possibly in the hotel industry, and wants "to travel the world."
Loo told Ancheta that no matter what kind of job he has, there will be "lots and lots of temptations."
Deputy Prosecutor Justine Hura said that Ancheta apparently memorized a credit card number from a customer he waited on while working at Carl's Jr. last year.
He then used the number to pay his August and September cellphone bills, both totaling a little more than $400, Hura said.
Ancheta pleaded no contest to fraudulent use of a credit card and second-degree theft for the incidents.
In another unrelated case, 21-year-old Alexandra N. Hilsabeck, also known by the first name of Alexandria, was sentenced to five years' probation for stealing credit cards and a Social Security card.
During the sentencing on June 22, Loo credited Hilsabeck with the 134 days she has spent in jail as well as a chance to clear her record if she successfully completes probation.
Loo told Hilsabeck that the chance to clear her record was like a "present" that could be taken away.
"If you screw up on any of these conditions no matter how small, you will be going to prison, no turning back," Loo said.
Loo said that Hilsabeck, at the time of her arrest earlier this year, was taking up to 40 pills a day. Hilsabeck and her mother said they wanted residential treatment to help with Hilsabeck's substance abuse problem.
Hilsabeck pleaded no contest to unauthorized possession of confidential personal information, four counts of credit card theft and one count of fourth-degree theft for an incident on Feb. 9.
* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
