Within two weeks of his release from federal prison two years ago, James Shamblin was implicated in a crime spree that included burglaries at 14 visitor condominiums from Makena to Kapalua, The Maui News reported today.

On Friday, he was sentenced to a 20-year prison term, with a judge citing Shamblin's criminal past as an indicator of his future behavior.

In sentencing the 36-year-old, 2nd Circuit Judge Richard Bissen doubled the 10-year prison term recommended as part of a plea bargain between the defense and prosecution. "The court believes the defendant has demonstrated no remorse and is not deserving of the agreement reached by the parties," Bissen said.

He ordered that Shamblin serve at least 13 years and four months in prison before being eligible for parole because he is a repeat offender.

According to the Maui News report, Shamblin had pleaded no contest to 39 charges in two criminal cases, with most of the counts stemming from the 14 burglaries and associated thefts of valuables including cameras, iPods, computers, cellular telephones, jewelry and a van. The burglaries occurred from Aug. 20, 2006, to Sept. 17, 2006, at condominiums in Kihei, Makena, Maalaea, Wailea and Kapalua.

According to court records, Christ Hoerner, a security guard at the Maui Sunset condominium, identified Shamblin as the driver of a 2003 Dodge Caravan that was stolen from the parking lot in September 2006 after the keys were taken from a burglarized unit. The van had a license plate that had been stolen from a rental van.

Lahaina police arrested Shamblin a few days later after stopping the van, following reports that a woman who got into the vehicle had tried to use a stolen credit card at Kahana Gateway Plaza businesses.

The woman, who was identified as 28-year-old Breeze Chrisler, fled. When she was arrested the following month, she admitted to burglarizing units with Shamblin, according to court records.

Shamblin was ordered to pay $7,293 in restitution.

The amount would have been significantly higher, but many victims - all of them visitors - didn't submit claims for their losses, said Deputy Prosecutor Melinda Mendes.

"A lot of them just wanted this to be over with," she said. "This has ruined vacations."

In one burglary, irreplaceable wedding photos were stolen, she said.

"There are victims behind every count in these cases," Mendes said.

Asking the judge to impose a 10-year prison term, defense attorney Chris Dunn said Shamblin was still young and had experienced a troubled childhood.

"I want drug rehabilitation," Shamblin said in court Friday. "Sorry for the inconvenience anybody suffered."

Bissen said records indicated Shamblin had previously rejected drug treatment.

Shamblin's background includes 133 arrests, 41 convictions and 41 pending charges, as well as 20 aliases, five dates of birth and five Social Security numbers, Bissen said. He said the probation department listed 27 factors supporting imprisonment for Shamblin and "not even one" reason against incarceration.

Shamblin has been on federal and state probation as well as parole, Bissen said.

The crimes in Shamblin's latest cases started less than two weeks after his release in a federal case, Bissen said.

Shamblin was prosecuted in the federal court system for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police recovered the firearm as part of his arrest in 2001 cases that led to multiple charges including theft, vehicle theft, drug possession, car break-ins, resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle and possession of burglar's tools. In 2003, he was sentenced to a five-year prison term for the state charges, court records show.

Bissen said a 2000 report by a Kauai probation officer predicted that Shamblin was at high risk to reoffend, describing him as having "no redeeming qualities" and no remorse and blaming "everyone but himself."

"In the court's opinion, the defendant has no intention of changing his attitude or behavior," Bissen said. "He has no intention of complying with drug treatment. He has no intention of complying with any kind of supervision. He has no intention of complying with court orders.

"The court has no intention of going along with the plea agreement. The only way the public can be protected from this defendant is with a lengthy prison sentence."

Shamblin had pleaded no contest to 14 counts of first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, 12 counts of second-degree theft, seven counts of theft of a credit card and three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card and fraudulent use of license plates.

The sentencing Friday afternoon followed two days of hearings on Shamblin's request to withdraw his no-contest pleas, claiming he hadn't entered the pleas knowingly in October 2007 and that new information justified the plea withdrawal request.

The hearings included testimony by an attorney who formerly represented Shamblin and his co-defendant Chrisler, who is participating in the Maui Drug Court program of treatment and supervision.

Bissen denied Shamblin's request, noting Shamblin twice signed a form saying he wanted to enter the no-contest pleas and said he understood what he was doing. Much of Chrisler's testimony further implicated Shamblin, the judge said.

"The defendant plead because it was the best deal he could get at the time," Bissen said. "Since then, he has spoken to a new attorney and would like to get a better deal."

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