CORRECTION 1/21/2020 11 a.m.: Previous version of story had an incorrect bail amount, citing information gathered from state Judiciary website.
A 36-year-old Hilo man is facing numerous felony sexual offenses and drug charges stemming from incidents that allegedly took place last week.
John Allen Wager is charged with two counts each of first-degree sexual assault and second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, plus single counts of attempted first-degree sexual assault and second-degree promotion of a harmful drug.
According to the complaint, Wager subjected a 14-year-old girl identified only by initials “to an act of sexual penetration by strong compulsion” and/or “knowingly engaged in sexual penetration with a minor” twice on Jan. 13 and attempted to do so another time on the same date.
Wager also is accused of distributing amphetamines or methamphetamine on Jan. 13 and Jan. 17, the complaint states, and illegal possession on Jan. 17 of at least 50 dosage units of clonazepam — a prescription drug sold as Klonopin, which is used to treat panic attacks, certain types of seizures and anxiety disorder.
The sexual offenses are all Class A felonies punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment upon conviction, and the drug offenses are all Class B felonies punishable by up to 10 years incarceration upon conviction.
The complaint alleges Wager is subject to extended terms of imprisonment, which could potentially result in life imprisonment with the possibility of parole if he is convicted of two or all three Class A felony charges.
At Wager’s initial court appearance Tuesday, Hilo District Judge Kimberly Taniyama ordered him to return for a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Wager remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $225,200 bail.
A search of court records didn’t turn up any previous felony convictions, but Wager has a mental examination pending in a misdemeanor assault case in Hilo Circuit Court stemming from an arrest on June 23, 2019.
There also is an active bench warrant for Wager’s arrest in Honolulu District Court for failing to appear in court on March 19 and May 10 last year in a misdemeanor trespassing on school grounds case. The complaint doesn’t specify the school where Wager allegedly trespassed, but states he entered the premises and remained unlawfully between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Jan. 25, 2019.
Wager was convicted in 2015 of misdemeanor unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle in Kaneohe District Court on Oahu and sentenced to 16 days jail, court records indicate.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
