Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Michael Stokes (age 27), of Providence, was found guilty today by a Providence County Superior Court jury of the October 17, 2015 shooting inside the El Tiburon nightclub in Providence. Stokes was found guilty of three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of carrying a firearm without a license. Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause presided over the week-long trial.
During the trial, the State proved that on the evening of October 17, 2015, inside the El Tiburon nightclub, Stokes engaged in a verbal argument with Dwayne "Fat Cat" Monteiro. As Stokes was headed towards the exit of the nightclub, he turned, pointed a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol at Monteiro, and fired multiple times. Monteiro was struck by three bullets. Two other individuals standing nearby also suffered gunshot wounds.
A witness who was inside the nightclub identified Stokes as the shooter.
Stokes fled the state after the shooting and was later apprehended in North Carolina.
After the verdict, Stokes was remanded back to the ACI, where he has been held since his arrest, pending sentencing. The State has filed notice with the court seeking to find Stokes a habitual offender, which could add an additional 20 years to his sentence.
Providence Police Detectives Matthew Greeley and Brian Dyer led the investigation and Assistant Attorney General James Baum prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.