Sentencing for Koloa Chevron robber continued

LIHU‘E — The sentencing of a defendant in the 2012 Koloa Chevron station robbery was continued Wednesday in 5th Circuit Court.

Clarence Montgomery Ka-Ne II, 21, of Koloa, was present at a hearing regarding a motion for a deferred sentence. If granted, it would possibly keep a felony conviction off his record with the completion of probation.

Instead, Judge Kathleen Watanabe continued the hearing until June 5, 2013. It was continued to allow Ka-Ne to testify at the new trial of another defendant.

Ka-Ne testified at the December trial of Mason Noah Saio. The jury emerged without a verdict and Judge Watanabe declared a mistrial and a new trial was scheduled for May 6, 2013.

Ka-Ne had already pleaded guilty to an amended charge of second-degree robbery on June 18. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to testify in the Saio trial and his own sentencing would then  occur following the outcome.

Saio, 21, of Kalaheo, is facing first-degree robbery, attempted second-degree theft and third-degree assault charges. He is the only one of the four defendants to refuse a plea deal.

The four defendants were tried separately for the Jan. 4 robbery. Each was charged with first-degree robbery and attempted second-degree theft. Saio and co-defendant Kalai Hans Vicente received additional charges of assaulting the store manager and brandishing knives.

Ka-Ne testified that he was “punked” into taking part in the wine and cigarette robbery by Saio. He testified to not knowing there would be knives, violence and stealing store cash.

Vicente, 19, of Kapa‘a, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of second-degree robbery in July. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Josiah K. Kaluna, 18, of Koloa, pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery and fourth-degree criminal property damage on June 20. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The defendants who pleaded guilty were also ordered to pay restitution of $450.09 to Lahaina Petroleum LLC.