Posted on: Friday, September 14, 2001

Trial ordered in shrimp van extortion case

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A Wahiawa man was ordered yesterday to stand trial on extortion, robbery, kidnapping and theft charges related to an Aug. 19 incident in which the owner of a food van claims he was forced at gunpoint to sell the business back to one of the people he bought it from.

In a District Court hearing Tuesday, shrimp van owner Troy Nitsche identified Carl Depietropaolo, 49, as one of three armed men who were present at a Pearl City warehouse when he was threatened and made to sell his interest in the shrimp van and another food product business.

After hearing additional testimony in the case yesterday, District Judge Tenney Tongg said there was sufficient cause to turn Depietropaolo over to Circuit Court for trial on the charges.