Gapuz, Lopes get jail terms

Phil Leo Gapuz, 22, of Lihu‘e, was sentenced by Fifth Circuit Court Chief Judge George M. Masuoka to five years in prison for unlawful use of or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, county prosecutors said.

Gapuz entered his guilty plea to the felony offense on Nov. 22, 2005. Gapuz failed to appear for his original sentencing date on Jan. 26, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, prosecutors said.

Gapuz was arrested b y police for the bench warrant on Feb. 22, and brought to court for sentencing the next day, according to prosecutors.

He committed the offense in November 2004 when police executed a search warrant for his friend’s home and found Gapuz in possession of a glass smoking pipe containing methamphetamine residue, prosecutors said.

In other court action:

• Alfred Lopes, Jr., 22, of Hanama‘ulu, was re-sentenced by Masuoka to five years in prison for unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, after being found in violation of the terms and conditions of his probation, prosecutors said.

Lopes was originally sentenced to probation for the felony offense on June 24, 2004, after he pled guilty to taking a truck without permission, and getting into a collision with the truck in March 2004, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors filed a motion to revoke that probation term on Sept. 28, 2004, after his probation officer reported that Lopes continued to use drugs while on probation, failed to follow up with drug treatment, failed to make court-ordered payments of restitution to someone involved in the accident, and failed to meet with his probation officer, prosecutors said.

On Oct. 14, 2004, Lopes was re-sentenced to another term of probation, and ordered to serve one year in jail, while being given the option of reducing his jail time by completing a residential-drug-treatment program, prosecutors said.