Providence man sentenced to double life in prison for 2022 murder

Providence man sentenced to double life in prison for 2022 murder

Published on Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Providence man has been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court to serve two consecutive life sentences at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) for the 2022 murder of Angelo Gomez.

At a hearing on July 30, 2024, Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause sentenced Robert Komhlan (age 38) to serve two consecutive life sentences, followed by an additional 25 years to serve, at the ACI.

On April 5, 2024, following the conclusion of an eight-day trial, a jury found the defendant guilty of first-degree murder, discharging a firearm while in the commission of a crime of violence with death resulting, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited based on a prior conviction for a crime of violence. The defendant was also deemed a habitual offender and a probation violator on a prior gun conviction, leading to an additional 10 years to serve on the violation.

During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that on April 1, 2022, the defendant shot and killed Angelo Gomez outside of Wonderland Gentleman's Club in Providence.

That evening, the defendant attended Wonderland Gentleman's Club on Allens Avenue. Surveillance cameras captured the defendant as he exited the club and got into a dark SUV. Continuous surveillance footage across eight exterior cameras showed the SUV driving one block south before turning around and driving back toward the club. As the dark SUV returned to the club, several of the defendant's friends approached Angelo Gomez. To distance himself, Gomez began to retreat from them with his back toward the road. As Gomez backed up, the defendant shot Gomez three times before fleeing in the SUV.

Providence Police extracted video surveillance and several officers identified the defendant as he exited the club. Subsequently, detectives tried to locate the defendant to make an arrest, but he deactivated his cell phone and fled the jurisdiction. With coordination with the United States Marshalls, law enforcement ultimately apprehended the defendant in Atlanta, Georgia on June 17, 2022, and he was extradited back to Rhode Island.

Special Assistant Attorneys General Meagan L. Thomson and Edward G. Mullaney of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Alicia Hersperger and Sergeant Jonathan Primiano of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.