Michael I. Olaitiman
SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Goveno has sentenced Michael Jr. Itibus Olaitiman to a year in prison for burglary and another year for strangulation with both sentences to run concurrently.
On Jan. 11, 2024, Olaitiman, represented by court-appointed attorney Mark Scoggins, pled guilty to the offense of strangulation and, in a separate case, to the offense of burglary.
Assistant Attorney General Heather Barcinas appeared for the government.
In his five-page conviction and commitment order, Judge Govendo sentenced Olaitiman to five years imprisonment for burglary, but “all suspended except for one year, not subject to parole, early release, weekend release or furlough.” The defendant was also given credit for six days of time already served.
For the offense of strangulation, Judge Govendo sentenced Olaitiman to five years imprisonment, all suspended except for a year, not subject to parole, early release, weekend release or furlough. The defendant was also given credit for 149 days for time already served. The sentence shall run concurrently with his burglary case.
Olaitiman will be released from the custody of the Department of Corrections on Aug. 7, 2024, at 8 a.m.
He will pay a fine of $100 and a court cost of $25 during his five-year probation period that starts on Aug. 7, 2024.
In addition, he will pay a probation fee in the amount of $600 and perform 160 hours of community work.
Another condition of his probation is that Olaitiman “shall cooperate with the Office of the Attorney General and truthfully testify against the co-defendants, Michael Evangelista Jr. and Luwan Reyes, and all other individuals charged in relation to Criminal Case No. 23-0067 CR [burglary], at any hearing or court proceeding, including testifying at trial or revocation hearings against individuals involved.”
In the burglary case, Olaitiman and his co-defendants were accused of stealing eight rolls of copper wire from a construction site and selling them at two recycling shops for a total of $624 last year.
As for the strangulation case, Olaitiman had accused the victim of cheating on him, which started an argument. At some point, he threw an electric fan at the victim. He then grabbed the car keys and placed them in his pocket. When the victim struggled to retrieve the keys, Olaitiman “choked the victim and punched her twice in the face, causing the victim to feel dizzy, and [she] blacked out for a while,” police said, adding that when she came to, she screamed for help.
