Man sentenced to 15 years in state prison for violent home invasion

PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man was sentenced by a Providence County Superior Court judge to serve 15 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) following his plea to participating in a violent home invasion in Johnston in 2021 where a 30-year-old male occupant was shot and stabbed several times, according to Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Deven Guernon, 25, had entered a plea of nolo contendere to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to rob, one count of first-degree robbery, and two counts of conspiracy in connection with the charges.

.At a hearing on November 4, 2022, Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause sentenced the defendant to 30 years, with 15 years to serve at the ACI, and a 15year suspended sentence with 30 years of probation, according to Neronha.

“When every Rhode

Islander comes home and shuts the door behind them, their entirely reasonable expectation is that they are safe, and that any visitors, even the unexpected, will arrive with only good intentions,” Neronha said.

“The defendant here flouted that principle, and to the extreme. To invade another’s home, armed with gun and knife, with the intent to steal the property of the homeowner, is simply outrageous,” Neronha added.

“Such conduct deserves a heavy prison sentence, and I am grateful that the Court handed one down today,” Neronha said.

“I am also grateful to the men and women of Johnston Police Department for their outstanding work during the investigation of this case,” the attorney general added.

State prosecutors had been prepared to present a case showing beyond a reasonable doubt that in the early morning hours of January 10, 2021, Guernon, along with an unidentified co-conspirator, broke into a residence in Johnston, where they shot and stabbed a 30-year-old male occupant before fleeing.

During the 3:45 a.m. incident, .Guernon and the unidentified co-conspirator broke into a residence on Atwood Avenue, in an attempt to steal marijuana and cash, according to Neronha’s office.

As the attempted robbery continued, the suspects encountered the lone occupant and fought with him, slashing the victim several times with a knife in the chest, arm, and face. The fight ended abruptly Guernon’s co-conspirator shot the victim in his left thigh with a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, causing serious injuries that later required surgery.

The defendants stole approximately $1,000 in cash and a cell phone from the residence before fleeing. The firearm used in the shooting was never recovered.

During the ensuing investigation, members of the Johnston Police Department successfully identified Guernon as a suspect, according to Neronha’s office. In January of 2021, members of law enforcement arrested the defendant in Denver, Colorado, where he was then extradited back to Rhode Island for prosecution.

“Detectives from the Johnston Police Department worked very diligently with the members of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office to ensure that the defendant was brought to justice,” Johnston Police Chief Joseph P. Razza, said of the case.

“I am very grateful for the work of the Attorney General’s office in prosecuting this matter and particularly proud of the work done by the detectives who worked to identify and arrest this criminal. The conviction and sentence will help to restore the sense of safety once again,” Razza said.

Detectives Anthony Sasso, John Deangelis, and Mark Bairos of the Johnston Police Department and Assistant Attorney General John Perrotta of the Office of the Attorney General led the investigation and prosecution of the case.