William Chialastri
Leonardtown, MD — A judge called it “a lifetime of not obeying the law.” What St. Mary’s County Circuit Court Judge David Densford was referring to were William Chialastri’s previous 13 convictions. That record caused the state sentencing guidelines for the crime to which Chialastri pled guilty—attempted first-degree burglary – to balloon to 15 to 20 years in jail.
Even though Deputy State’s Attorney Daniel White at the Nov. 13 sentencing hearing said, “I don’t think the guidelines make sense,” the judge indeed thought they did and imposed a sentence right in the middle at 17 years in jail.
Chialastri, 36, and a co-defendant Donald Moore were charged in connection with two burglaries at businesses in Mechanicsville in September of last year. Chialastri has residences of Baltimore and Prince Frederick listed in court documents.
Judge Densford noted the pair rented a U-Haul to use for the stolen loot, a sign that it was a premeditated act. The state is seeking $11,000 in restitution from Chialastri although the value of the amount taken was considerably higher.
The judge in carefully going over the pre-sentence investigation conducted by the Department of Parole and Probation noted that the man was in a serious accident when he was five-years-old and started using drugs at an early age. Chialastri’s attorney, Brandan Callahan of Upper Marlboro, had tried to get his client in Adult Drug Court but they refused acceptance because of the alleged violent nature of some of his convictions, including several domestic assaults.
The judge also noted repeated violations of probation by Chialastri over time in addition to the assaults which included punching a pregnant woman on one occasion and throwing chairs and punching her another time. The judge noted that in addition to Chialastri’s drug problems, “I think the reading of his history is he is a career criminal.”
The judge however did cut Chialastri one potential break. He deferred for 60 days sending him up the road to the state penal system to give his lawyer a chance to get his client into a residential drug treatment program. Densford said if he completed programs such as those offered by Anchor and North Star, he would revisit the sentence.
“If you do not turn your life around you will go to prison in as soon as 60 days for 17 years,” Densford said. Chialastri was given credit towards his sentence for the 190 days he has been jailed awaiting sentencing.
The co-defendant Moore, 52, of Mechanicsville received a total sentence of 18 months but all but three months was suspended and he was authorized work release. He will be on five years’ probation.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com