Woman with history of crimes sent to prison for 10 years

Judge also orders her to pay $32,000 in restitution

WAILUKU — A 45-yearold Wailuku woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday for a string of car break-ins in which she stole credit cards, a family heirloom and other items.

Second Circuit Judge Peter Cahill handed down the prison term to Nicole Feliciano and also ordered her to pay nearly $32,000 in restitution. He waived an order for her to pay court fees noting that he was more concerned about the victims being paid back and that it would be difficult for Feliciano to even pay off the restitution itself.

Cahill reflected on a letter written by one of the victims that asked the judge to consider their story in sentencing as well as preventing similar crimes and future victims.

Cahill added that at first he was thinking of sentencing Feliciano to consecutive terms of imprisonment, but took in the “presentation” by her attorneys and Feliciano’s statements on her behavior to instead sentence her on concurrent prison terms.

During sentencing, Feliciano apologized to the victims and to her family who was in the court room.

“I’m not proud of the choices I made,” she said.

She acknowledged that Cahill was right in that she has a problem with committing crimes.

“I’m ready to face it today,” Feliciano said of her sentence.

Deputy Public Defender Zach Raidmae asked that Feliciano be sentenced to 18 months in jail and probation and be allowed early release to enter a long-term drug treatment at Habilitat.

He acknowledged that Feliciano is a Maui Drug Court Program graduate but had relapsed.

“She can do it again,” Raidmae said of Feliciano’s recovery. “(There is) no rule you can’t give a person a 15th second chance.”

He also noted that the victims were upset over the crimes and that one person was even hysterical and nearly sick.

But Raidmae added that the crimes were breaking into cars and not homes, which can be more personal.

He said that unfortunately, these crimes do happen even in Maui.

Feliciano’s other attorney, David Wiltsie, said that “a prison term isn’t going to ultimately fix the problem” and that Feliciano needed treatment.

But Cahill said the underlying problem is Feliciano committing crimes.

“We are here dealing with the effects,” Cahill said.

He noted that even though the crimes involved cars, they may have become people’s homes during the pandemic.

In five cases — four in 2019 and one this year — Feliciano pleaded no contest to two counts of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, two counts of first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft, three counts of credit card theft, two counts of unauthorized possession of confidential information and promoting a dangerous drug in the thirddegree, according to court records.

■ Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.