Men arrested in large Kauai meth bust to be arraigned ADVERTISING Men arrested in large Kauai meth bust to be arraigned HONOLULU (AP) — Two cousins pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a federal drug case that Kauai police say involves
Men arrested in large Kauai meth bust to be arraigned
HONOLULU (AP) — Two cousins pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a federal drug case that Kauai police say involves the largest amount of crystal methamphetamine seized during a single bust on the island.
Steve Pete Orozco II and Andrew J. Martinez pleaded not guilty Wednesday in federal court in Honolulu to meth distribution charges. Orozco is also charged with possessing a stolen handgun with a scratched-off serial number.
When they were arrested in March, Kauai police said officers found 7 pounds of meth in their Hanamaulu home. “This is the largest amount of crystal methamphetamine that the department has seized in a single incident with the take down of this drug trafficking organization,” Police Chief Darryl Perry said in a statement at the time.
Police said the meth has a street value of $1.6 million. Authorities say the popular drug sells in Hawaii for double what it goes for on the mainland, driven partly by demand and because there are limited ways of getting the drug to the islands. It can even be more expensive to buy crystal meth on outer islands than on Oahu, authorities said.
Seven pounds is a sizeable amount on an island that has a population of about 70,000 people.
According to a criminal complaint filed in court, Martinez told authorities that he moved to Kauai in 2006 with his girlfriend. His first-cousin, Orozco, moved in with them a few weeks before the arrest, the documents said, bringing with him a shoe box filled with gallon-sized plastic bags of crystal meth.
An informant led police to Orozco, who is from Stockton, California, the FBI said in the complaint. The informant arranged to buy meth from Orozco. Officers arrested Orozco and Martinez at the Lihue Walmart parking lot after the drug deal, according to the complaint.
During a search of their home, officers found several thousand dollars in cash and a semi-automatic handgun in a duffel bag. The serial number on the frame of the Glock 19 was completely scratched out and partially scratched out on the weapon’s slide, authorities said. Police found the drugs in nine gallon-sized plastic bags.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Puglisi allowed Martinez to be released to a Honolulu halfway house, with a curfew and other conditions. Martinez previously wanted to remain in the Honolulu Federal Detention Center, but has since changed his mind, his defense attorney Lynn Panagakos said.
Orozco must remain at the detention center.
Honolulu school vandalized; no commencement for suspects
HONOLULU (AP) — Twelve seniors at a Honolulu high school are being banned from the upcoming graduation ceremony and could face criminal charges after vandals were caught on video defacing school property.
The Moanalua High School students have been identified as suspects in the incident that occurred early Tuesday and are under investigation. Police have opened second-degree criminal property damage and second-degree burglary cases.
Officials said the vandalism discovered Tuesday morning included spray paint on multiple buildings and a driver’s education vehicle, a water fountain ripped off a wall and trees covered with toilet paper.
“The act of vandalism is a criminal act. To damage state property is unacceptable,” said Department of Education spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz. “We have a Board of Education policy on what we expect when it comes to our graduates, to be positive, contributing citizens when they graduate. This does not reflect the public school graduate that we hope to raise.”
School officials said the students will not be able to participate in Friday’s commencement.
Dela Cruz praised school staff in a statement “for taking immediate action in cleaning up the campus and for appropriate actions against the students.”
Guam archbishop denies sex abuse allegations in video
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — An archbishop in Guam is defending himself against claims that he sexually abused an altar boy 40 years ago.
Archbishop Anthony Apuron released a video Tuesday, in which he denied the allegations brought by Roy Taitague Quintanilla, of Hawaii. Quintanilla has accused Apuron of sexually abusing him when he was an altar boy and the archbishop was a priest at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Agat.
“To be absolutely clear and to avoid any misinterpretations of my statement, I deny all allegations of sexual abuse by Roy Quintanilla,” Apuron said in the video.
The archbishop also referred to “malicious ads” recently featured in local newspapers, including the Pacific Daily News. In a previous news release, the archdiocese said the advertisements insinuated sexual abuse by Apuron.
“As predicted just four days ago, these malicious ads have resulted in a false accusation of sexual abuse,” Apuron said in the video.
The Concerned Catholics of Guam, a group that has been critical of the archbishop, paid for the advertisements, which called on victims of sexual abuse to come forward.
Apuron has been accused of molestation in the past, but has never been charged with a crime.
The archdiocese issued a statement Tuesday, saying Deacon Larry Claros, the archdiocese’s sexual abuse response coordinator, has been informed and is coordinating a response. The “proper steps have been initiated” following the recent allegations, the statement says.
Quintanilla, 52, spoke at a press conference Tuesday about the alleged sexual abuse by Apuron when he was 12 years old. He said Apuron touched him inappropriately after persuading him to spend the night at his house.
“I cried then, and I’ve never stopped crying,” he said.
Last week, the archdiocese said it intended to file lawsuits against those spreading “malicious lies” about the local church.
In 2014, John Toves, of California, accused Apuron of molesting his cousin, but Toves’ cousin never came forward to confirm the allegations.
