KAILUA-KONA — The state Department of the Attorney General recommended the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney review a case naming a former Hawaii Police Department officer as a person of interest in the theft of drug evidence.
The Police Department sent the case to the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney on March 2 for review of possible charges. After reviewing the pages-long document, County Prosecutor Mitch Roth referred the case to the attorney general’s office, as conflicts were identified.
Dana Viola, special assistant to the attorney general, confirmed Thursday the office received the referral and recommended Honolulu prosecutors look into the matter.
Aside from that, Viola said to protect the process, it is the office’s policy not to discuss any aspect of investigations.
The Honolulu prosecutor’s office confirmed it received the case for review Thursday. If charges are filed, officials say they will be filed through 3rd Circuit Court in Hilo.
On March 15, the Police Department released information that a former officer was a person of interest after drugs were found missing from evidence. The initial investigation began in October 2017. According to authorities, cocaine recovered as evidence in 2014 was found to be lighter than reported during its initial recovery.
A police press release said the discrepancy was discovered when the evidence was being weighed in preparation to use a small quantity of the drug for training purposes.
At the time of the investigation, the release indicates, the officer immediately was placed on administrative leave without pay. Audits of other evidence recovered by the officer revealed “other anomalies, which revealed cases whereby there was a weight discrepancy in marijuana concentrate (hashish), from two separate investigations.”
The officer has since retired. Roth didn’t know if the former employee was receiving retirement benefits.
During an interview on Hawaii Public Radio, Police Chief Paul Ferreira said the officer had the rank of detective. The former officer’s years of service were not disclosed. The officer’s identity also was not released, nor was the amount of drugs missing.
Ferreira declined to make further statements regarding the investigation.
Email Tiffany DeMasters at tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com.