Woman guilty of robbery, extortion
Advertiser Staff
The former owner of a popular North Shore lunchwagon specializing in gourmet shrimp plates was convicted yesterday of robbery and other charges that resulted from a 2001 meeting in which the new owner was forced at gunpoint to sell the business back.
The Circuit Court jury of eight women and four men deliberated for less than a day before finding Connie Aragona, 48, guilty as charged on all counts of robbery, extortion, kidnapping and theft. Aragona stood at the defense table and shook her head as the verdicts were read.
ARAGONA
She faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the first-degree robbery, second-degree extortion and kidnapping charges and five years on the second-degree theft charge.
Troy Nitsche, who purchased the Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp lunchwagon business from Aragona and her former husband John in 1997, had testified that Aragona asked him to meet with her at her Pearl City office on Aug. 19, 2001.
Nitsche said that when he arrived, two men he had never seen before shoved guns in his face and instructed him to agree to Aragona's offer to buy the business back for the same price he had paid four years earlier. Nitsche said the men threatened to harm him or his family on the Mainland if he did not comply.
Nitsche said that after he was beaten and kept from leaving the office, he finally signed the contract. He said he called police, who arrested Aragona.
Carl "Pete" Depietropaolo, who testified on behalf of the prosecution, said Aragona recruited him to hire two men to convince Nitsche that he should sell the business back.
Depietropaolo, who was present at the August 2001 meeting with Nitsche, pleaded guilty to robbery, extortion and theft charges in connection with the case in December 2002. In exchange for his cooperation, the prosecution agreed to drop a kidnapping charge against him.
When Aragona took the stand in her own defense last week, she claimed that Depietropaolo, 50, had been extorting money from her by threatening her daughter during the weeks leading up the meeting with Nitsche.
She said Depietropaolo arranged the meeting and merely demanded that she be there. She said she was shocked to see what went on at the meeting.
Nitsche testified that immediately after he was forced to sign the business back to Aragona, she and Depietropaolo drove out to Kahuku and demanded that Nitsche's employees turn over a cash box containing $3,500, the daily receipts of the truck's operation.
Judge Michael Town set Aragona's sentencing for Aug. 22 and allowed her to remain free on bail to make arrangements for someone to care for her 14-year-old daughter.
