Hawaii's 'Most Dangerous Man'
Georgina
Parole board member calls the killer a cancer on Hawaii
Honolulu Star-Bulletin 11/22/99
http://doit.starbulletin.com/breaking/
Wallace “Dido” Rodrigues would be 84 before he can ask the Parole
Authority to reduce his prison term, if prosecutors have their way.
Prosecutors are asking that “Hawaii’s most dangerous” man be ordered to
serve 150 years in prison for his history of violence and criminal
experience. If the request is granted, Rodrigues, 34, would have to
serve a third of that — 50 years — before he can ask for a reduction.
Rodrigues today appeared before the Parole Authority, which will decide
in a couple weeks how much time he will be required to serve for his May
conviction in the 1990 drug-related slaying of Leo Tuaoa. Prosecutors
sought the lengthy term based on Rodrigues’ history of killing people,
use of firearms, force and intimidation to get what he wants, his
ability to influence others to act on his behalf and his experience in
running a criminal organization from his association with the Charlie
Stevens’ drug organization. “He’s lived a life of crime basically his
entire adult life,” said Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter, who argued
that Rodrigues is a danger to the community. “This person wouldn’t
hesitate to kill again if he got out.”
Rodrigues is in prison for manslaughter in the 1995 killing of Wayne
Pemberton who was shot in the head at point-blank range. He killed
Pemberton just a year after he had been paroled for the second time, Van
Marter said. Rodrigues also faces trials in January and July the murders
of Lorenzo Young in 1988 and William “Willy” Lau in October 1990. Lau
was a witness to the Tuaoa murder and was killed because he was talking,
prosecutors said. Tuaoa was the victim of a “premeditated planned
murder” in which he was lured to a Makaha home, outnumbered by six to
one and interrogated for an hour at gunpoint about a drug theft
involving Charlie Stevens, Van Marter said.
Rodrigues also has convictions for firearms-related violations, reckless
endangering, and robbing a tourist in Waikiki. He has a long history of
“strong-arm” robberies, extortion and drug trafficking in connection
with the Stevens’ organization, Van Marter said. Rodrigues is also
considered a security risk at Halawa prison after he was identified as
instigating or participating in mumerous inmate assaults.
Parole board member Lani Garcia chastised Rodrigues, who appeared via
closed-circuit video from Halawa, for the “spread of fear, intimidation
and death” he has caused. “Mr. Rodrigues, you are a cancer to our
community,” Garcia said, noting that the Parole Board “has the power to
stop the spread of infection.”
Rodrigues’ attorney, David Klein said threats attributed to Rodrigues
are “speculative” and his client has never been charged in connection
with those allegations. Van Marter earlier told board members that it
was no coincidence that at least two witnesses who were to testify
against Rodrigues were threatened. One month before trial, the home of
the wife and children of one prosecution witness was the target of a
drive-by shooting. And on the day Rodrigues’ trial began, the girlfriend
of another prosecution witness present during Tuaoa’s killing was warned
she would be killed if her boyfriend testified.
Michael Newton
>
> Here's an update on news posted last month. Wallace Rodrigues, a key
> figure in Oahu, Hawaii's organized crime and drug trade ...who was
> already serving time for criminal acts... has just received the longest
> minimum term ever set by the Hawaii Paroling Authority.
Book him, Danno!
