Accused Killer Segura Was On “Minimally Supervised” Probation Status At Time Of Fatal Car Crash

Acting upon a tip, The Coalition Radio Network reached out to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections to confirm whether or not on January 1st, 2022, accused murderer Aramis Segura was on “unsupervised” probation status, less than three years into an 8-year probationary sentence from breaking and entering a home – his 8th felony conviction and one of numerous convictions for a crime of violence.

Despite having been already found guilty of 6 prior felony convictions at the time of his 2019 sentencing, Mr. Segura was not ordered to serve jail time.  Sentencing guidelines allow up to a 15 year sentence for Breaking & Entering, and up to 10 years for Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle

The Department of Corrections, through its spokesperson, confirmed that at the time Segura allegedly crashed his vehicle into Olivia Passaretti’s car on January 1st, 2022, and killing her, his probation was in unsupervised status, or in the terms of the Department of Corrections, “minimally supervised.” The reason offered for this? Segura had paid his restitution and had no complaints or violations less than three years into his 8 year probation sentence. This, despite his history of violent crime, probation violations and his status as a registered sex offender for third degree sexual assault – which involves an adult engaging in sexual penetration with a minor aged 14 or 15 years old.

Effectively, despite being under the “supervision” of the probation department, no one was monitoring Segura’s behavior on January 1st, 2022 when he posted his pre-crash statements on social media, declaring “no ima drink and see what happens I’m a f**k yo I have a benz let’s see if I can f**k it up”. Tragically, this apparent lack of supervision, coupled with the inexplicable leniency of his probationary sentence, led to the death of an innocent 17-year-old student.

Full Body Of The Statement From The Rhode Island Department Of Corrections

Mr. Aramis Segura is currently awaiting trial on pending charges inside our Intake Service Center facility. As such, RIDOC’s policy dictates that staff must exercise extreme discretion not to interfere with the constitutionally given right to a fair trial. Additionally, for safety and security reasons, certain personnel information is considered privileged and will not be disclosed. So, what I can share with you will be very limited.

First, it is important to understand RIDOC’s primary dealings involve custody, not sentencing. People are sentenced to probation by the courts. And while we serve as custodians to that probationary sentence, we do not have the authority to assign that status on anyone. If someone is sentenced to probation, it is incumbent upon the courts as the sentencing body – not RIDOC – to change that sentence.

Second, it is also crucial to understand the enforcement of probation. It is a system where individuals are evaluated and assessed on risks and behaviors as it pertains to the sentence they are currently serving. There are approximately 75 Probation Officers actively supervising an average caseload of 130 probationers, out of a total of over 18,000 people sentenced to serve probation. One of the Justice Reinvestment top priorities is to address this issue. When it comes to probation, there are three levels, and these are:

1. Active supervision: Under this classification the individual is monitored and has regular check-ins with their Probation Officer (PO). Depending on the case and severity of the sentence, the average check-in is about once a month.
2. Low supervision: Here, the person has had no community complaints, no law enforcement interactions, has kept the peace and is considered to be exhibiting good behavior. The person who transitions from active supervision to this status has not been the subject of a complaint and their behavior meets their conditions of probation, as well as a satisfactory status on any special conditions imposed on them by the courts. During low supervision the average reporting is every two to three months, again depending on the case.
3. Minimal supervision: Once a person has reached this level of supervision, they have shown full compliance with their conditions of probation, no community complaints, and no indication of risky or concerning behavior. Even though their probation file is still open, supervision at this level is mostly self-reported, and unless something changes or the Department receives a complaint, the individual is considered to be on the path to a lawful transition into unsupervised community living once their sentence is done. Individuals in this category have kept the peace and have statistically overcome the period of time where they are considered most likely at risk to reoffend, which is within their first and second year out on probation.

Mr. Segura’s file says his status was Minimal Supervision as he scored low in the risk assessment tool AND shown full compliance with his conditions of probation. He also had completed his special conditions of probation and paid his court mandated restitution in full. He had kept the peace and good behavior for over two years and a half, no reported interactions with law enforcement and no violations, and there had been no reported complaints from his behavior in the community. No one reported any grievances against Mr. Segura, and by all metrics, Mr. Segura was in a place where he had the opportunity to live as a law-abiding citizen. Now his fate is once again in the hands of the courts and the judicial system. We must allow the judicial process to take its course.