Drug addict gets
By Debra Barayuga
20-year term for
burglary spree in 1998
Star-BulletinA 26-year-old ice addict convicted of breaking into homes from Mililani to Hawaii Kai and stealing property worth "tens of thousands of dollars" was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Circuit Judge Wendell Huddy yesterday ruled that Shawn C. Merit was a multiple offender and sentenced him to the extended term on 21 counts of first-degree burglary, to be served concurrently.
He will have to serve a mandatory minimum of six years as a repeat offender and pay more than $23,000 in restitution to his victims.
The court also revoked Merit's probation on two other burglary cases and resentenced him to 10 years on seven counts of first-degree burglary, to be served concurrently. He was on probation on those cases when he went on what prosecutors called a "crime spree" during the summer of 1998.
Homeowners lost what amounted to "several tens of thousands of dollars," in property including jewelry, heirlooms, Hawaiiana items, cash, cameras and watches, said Deputy Prosecutor Barry Kemp. Merit also made off with keys to a BMW and Mercedes.
Some items were recovered at a pawnshop and at a hotel room where he was staying but the bulk of the property will never be recovered, Kemp said.
In one instance, an 80-year-old woman awoke to discover him inside her house and pretended to be asleep. The burglar, later identified as Merit, eventually left but she was traumatized by the incident, Kemp said.
While the loss of property was great, it was minimal compared to what can happen if a homeowner confronted the burglar, Huddy said in granting the state's motion for an extended term. "An extended term is necessary for the protection of the public," he said.
Mary Joao, one of seven victims who spoke in court, said Merit took more than the amber necklace -- a gift from her late husband -- or the ipu she made in a class in the break-in at her Mililani home. "He took the memories."
