Co-Defendant in S. Kona Home Invasion Sentenced to Up to 15 Years in Prison

A Kona man is facing up to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to a home invasion in South Kona in December 2020, as well as offenses with the theft of a firearm and multiple vehicles following the robbery.

Twenty-three-year-old Jerome Kahoali’i-Heath appeared in Kona’s 3rd Circuit Court on Thursday, Oct. 21, where Judge Robert DS Kim sentenced him to consecutive prison terms.

In August, Kahoali’i-Heath entered no-contest pleas to 11 charges: second-degree accomplice to robbery, two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle, first-degree terroristic threatening, ownership or possession of firearm prohibited, and first-degree theft.

Charges stem from an incident on Dec. 27, 2020. According to Hawaiʻi Police, Kahoali’i-Heath and 27-year-old Ioane Asagra entered a Captain Cook home, masked and armed with guns, and demanded drugs and money.

Police say the pair struck three witnesses in the head with a weapon.

The men were officially charged on Dec. 31, 2020.

On Thursday, after listening to arguments by the defense and prosecution, Kim sentenced Kahoali’i-Heath to a 10-year prison term and five-year prison term for revocation of his felony probation.

Kim ordered that the 10-year prison term be served consecutively to the five-year prison term.

Kahoali’i-Heath also stipulated, or accepted, to revocation of his felony probation, where his prior convictions were for unauthorized control of propelled vehicle. The judge also ordered that the 23-year-old serve a mandatory minimum of three years in relation to the possession of a firearm in the commission of the resisting an order to stop offense.

Kahoali’i-Heath’s co-defendant Asagra is set to go to trial in January 2022 for the December home invasion. The 27-year-old is also facing a second-degree murder charge in an unrelated incident.

After his arrest in December, Asagra posted his $500,000 bail on April 30, 2021. While he was out, he was again arrested in connection to the murder of Joey Richmond, who was found shot to death in May at End of the World in Keauhou.

Asagra was again taken into custody. On June 30, 2021, Kim granted Prosecutors’ motion to deny Asagra bail in relation to the incident in May.

That matter is set for trial in February 2022.