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Love bug
bites inmate
shortly before
his parole

He fails to return from
work furlough and tries to
marry, using his prison ID

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

Robert Gouveia may earn the nickname "Prisoner of Love."

Just months before his eight-year sentence was up at Oahu Community Correctional Center, Gouveia took an unauthorized leave to marry his girlfriend yesterday, according to authorities.

The escapee's mistake: He used his prison ID to get the marriage license.

An alert Health Department employee behind the counter called police, and soon the Marriage License office downtown was filled with officers who quickly apprehended their prisoner.

"Police arrived in quite a dramatic fashion in our office. A number of police cars showed up," said Patrick Johnston, Health Department spokesman.

Gouveia, 30, was serving an eight-year minimum sentence for robbery, theft, sexual assault and kidnapping, said Marian Tsuji, state Public Safety deputy director.

"Brilliant," sighed Tsuji after she heard about Gouveia's day.

Since Gouveia was approaching his eligible parole date in June, he was serving in a work furlough program called Laumaka. Inmates are allowed to leave the prison for a few hours to work, but must return at certain hours for a head count.

Gouveia, who was counted in the morning, didn't show up later, Tsuji said.

But he did show up with his girlfriend at the downtown state Marriage License office about noon, Johnston said.

As part of the application process for a license, Gouveia was asked for identification. Gouveia produced his prison ID from OCCC.

"Our manager called OCCC to see if he needed written permission. When the manager returned, the couple disappeared," Johnston said. "End of story, perhaps."

But the couple returned about 3 p.m.

Gouveia told the manager he had written permission but forgot it, Johnston said.

"Our manager called OCCC to confirm his story. The prison people called police," he said.

"He had to be taken away before he got married."

The incident could send Gouveia back to prison for several more years, Tsuji said.

Gouveia and his fiancee weren't an unusual-looking couple, Johnston noted.

"They were just like hundreds of others who come in on a daily basis to get married," Johnston said.

"The only difference is, he showed a prison ID."