William James Chialastri

Leonardtown, MD –– A St. Mary’s County judge has reduced a stiff sentence so a defendant can complete in-patient drug rehabilitation. Circuit Court Judge David Densford Feb. 1 suspended all but a year-and-a-half of the original 17-and-a-half-year sentence for William Chialastri, 37. of Baltimore and formerly of Prince Frederick.

Judge Densford delayed for 60 days the imposition of the original sentence and a trip up the road to a state penal facility to give Chialastri a chance to get into drug treatment. He said he would reconsider the sentence if the defendant completed it. Chialastri’s attorney Brendan Callahan of Upper Marlboro told the judge that his client had completed a program with Anchor and was enrolled in a residential program at North Star.

The judge told Chialastri he had two choices – freedom or drugs. He said if he failed to complete the program or subsequently fell off the wagon the original sentence would be reimposed

Chialastri and a co-defendant Donald Moore were charged with the March, 2014 break-in and burglary of Biagi’s Carpet Care Plus in Mechanicsville. According to charging documents the pair rented a truck and carried away equipment valued at more than $20,000. The police reports say that Chialastri was a former employee of the establishment.

At the original Nov. 13, 2015 sentencing Judge Densford called Chialastri a man who had spent “a lifetime not obeying the law.” When Densford sentenced the defendant to the 17-and-a-half years, he noted that it was between the state sentencing guidelines of 15 to 20 years based on Chialastri’s prior record. At the time Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel White said that based on the nature of the crime, ““I don’t think the guidelines make sense,”

In imposing the reduction to an 18-month sentence to be served in the St. Mary’s Detention Center, the judge gave Chialastri credit for 270 days he has already served. He and the co-defendant will be responsible for $11,500 in restitution to the victim.

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