PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Johnston man was sentenced on January 5, 2020 in Newport County Superior Court to serve eight years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) after being found guilty earlier this year of breaking and entering a Jamestown home in 2018.
Daren Post (age 56) was found guilty on January 30, 2019 by a Newport County Superior Court Jury of one count of unlawful breaking and entering a dwelling without consent of the owner. The jury returned the verdict after a four-day trial presided over by Superior Court Justice William E. Carnes, Jr.
At Tuesday's hearing before Judge Carnes, the court sentenced Post to 10 years at the ACI with eight years to serve and the balance of the sentence suspended with probation. Additionally, the court ordered Post to complete mental health counselling.
"Breaking and entering cases are often difficult to prove, even under the best circumstances," said Attorney General Neronha. "The defendant here committed a serious offense, and he is being held accountable for his actions. I commend the work of the Jamestown Police for their exemplary efforts in completing a challenging investigation."
During the trial, the State proved beyond reasonable doubt that, on the morning of January 25, 2018 Post broke into a home in Jamestown and fled when the homeowner returned to find Post in an upstairs bedroom.
That morning, the homeowner returned to their house to find the front door open and, upon closer inspection, heard noises coming from their second floor. The homeowner walked upstairs and saw Post walking out of a bedroom wearing blue baseball cap. After a short confrontation, Post ran into another room. He then jumped out of a second-story window before running away.
Post's blue baseball cap fell off during his jump and the Jamestown Police Department used hair found in the cap to submit to the Rhode Island Department of Health for DNA testing. Subsequently, results from testing confirmed that the DNA from the hair was a direct match to Post.
Jamestown Police were also able to obtain phone records and GPS data from Post's phone, which linked him to the area of the victim's house at the time of the crime.
"I am very grateful for the work of the Attorney General's office in prosecuting this matter and particularly proud of the work done by the detective who worked to identify and arrest Mr. Post," said Jamestown Chief of Police Edward Mello. "This crime brought a unsettled feeling to our residents, as it was blatant crime of entering an occupied home during the daytime. The conviction and sentence will help to restore the sense safety once again."
Jamestown Police Detective Derek Carlino and Rhode Island State Police led the investigation into the case. Assistant Attorney General Roger Demers and Special Assistant Attorney General Amanda Jacober prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General.
###