Press Release
Judge sentences Kodiak man to 11 Years for robbery and surreptitious recording
January 7, 2019
(Kodiak, AK)—On Friday, January 4, 2019, Kodiak Judge Steve Cole sentenced Daniel Grosser to 11 years, five months and 20 days in jail. The sentencing involved two separate cases both of which were recorded on the defendant’s cell phone—one case related to a robbery charge and another case related to an indecent viewing charge.
The video of the robbery showed Grosser heating up a serrated knife on a coil burner stove and burning the victim’s cheek with it. The second video showed Grosser surreptitiously filming sexual encounters with another victim. Grosser pled guilty to Robbery in the First Degree and to indecent viewing or photography.
During the open sentencing hearing Judge Cole watched the video taken from Grosser’s cell phone documenting both crimes. Judge Cole stated that “videos were worth more than a thousand words” and that if he were the victim he would have thought that he was about to die.
In addition to the video evidence, the State presented the court with photographs of the serrated knife that grosser had heated on the stove burner.
The court found that this crime was at the far end of the range of seriousness for robberies that could occur with a knife. The court heard testimony from the probation officer who provided a recitation of Grosser’s lengthy out of state history. In fashioning the sentence, the court chose to focus on isolation and community condemnation as the two primary sentencing goals. The court found that with the defendant’s history he was a “poor candidate” for rehabilitation.
During his opportunity to provide an elocution, Grosser wanted to apologize to the victims. Grosser told the court that he was “repulsed” with himself while listening to the videos. Grosser stated that he was disgusted with himself and should not have been doing drugs, particularly methamphetamine. He told the court he had “great shame” and “deep remorse” for what he did to the victims.
CONTACT: Kodiak District Attorney Gustaf Olson at 907-486-5744 or Gustaf.Olson@alaska.gov.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.