Alleged gang involvement halts sentencing

PALMER -- Sentencing was postponed Friday for a man involved in a one-night crime spree at the Hatcher Pass Gateway Center store and in Wasilla in 2001.

Jason Geisler, who has pleaded no contest to one count of first-degree robbery for his role in a robbery and carjacking, came to Superior Court ready for sentencing by Judge Eric Smith. However, disagreement over whether the crimes were part of a gang initiation caused an indefinite postponement.

Prosecutors raised gang involvement as an aggravating factor for Smith to consider in Geisler's sentencing. Assistant District Attorney Rachel Gernat said Geisler was part of a gang known as the Eastside Crips.

"This had been a gang initiation," she said. "They were driving around committing these robberies as part of the ESC."

Gernat said Geisler identified himself as an ESC member two years prior to the Gateway Center robbery, wore a blue bandanna during the spree, and had more blue bandannas in his home.

But defense attorney Herman Walker disagreed, saying the bandannas police found came from Geisler's mother's room, not Geisler's.

Walker also contended that James McAnulty, Geisler's half-brother, forced him into criminal acts. McAnulty was 22 at the time of the robbery and carjacking. Geisler was 17 at the time.

"What we have here is a brother who tells his younger brother what to do," Walker said. "He told Jason what to do that night. [Geisler] did it because of the control his brother has on him."

Geisler originally was charged with four counts of first-degree robbery and one count of first-degree misconduct involving weapons. All charges were dropped except one count of robbery in exchange for his no contest plea.

Court documents indicate that Geisler allegedly fired a gun in the air after waving down a car, then participated in robbing the occupants of the car and stealing the car. The incident occurred shortly before midnight on Jan. 25, 2001, at Cottonwood Loop and Aspen Street, charging documents said. The Gateway Center store at Mile 6.5 Palmer-Fishhook Road was robbed about two hours earlier, according to charging documents.

McAnulty previously pleaded no contest to a consolidated charge of first-degree armed robbery and received a 10-year prison sentence. Another participant, Shannon Stenhoff, 16 at the time, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his role.

Judge Smith told defense and prosecuting attorneys Friday to compile a list of witnesses for a hearing on the gang issue. No date was set for the hearing, and Geisler's sentencing is on hold until the session is completed.

Cecilia Goodwin, clerk at the gateway center at the time of the robbery, sat in the courtroom Friday hoping to see Geisler sentenced. Geisler looked at Goodwin as he was led out of the courtroom, giving the woman what she later described as "a smirk."

"What are you laughing at?" she called to Geisler at the time. "You do the crime, you do the time."