Pubdate: Sat, 04 Apr 2009
Source: Honolulu Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2009 The Honolulu Advertiser
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/uXtrz8Lm
Website: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/195
Author: Peter Boylan

HAWAII DRUG GANG DISPUTE LINKED TO CHINATOWN MURDER

When Joseph Peneueta was gunned down in Chinatown a week ago today, 
it marked the second time in two years that deadly violence from 
California's illicit drug trade spilled over onto Honolulu's streets, 
according to law enforcement officials.

Peneueta's shooting was the result of a dispute among business 
partners, police believe.

At the time of the shooting, Peneueta and the two men accused of 
killing him - Iosefa M. Pasene, 21, and Zorro R. Rye, 24 - were the 
subject of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into 
allegations that they smuggled cocaine and crack into Honolulu from 
the San Francisco Bay Area. All three have prior county and federal 
drug convictions and hail from San Francisco.

Pasene and Rye were indicted Thursday on charges of murdering the 
35-year-old Peneueta at 4:10 a.m. on March 28 near the intersection 
of River and Pauahi streets.

Armed with an AK-47 and a shotgun, Pasene and Rye gunned down 
Peneueta after Peneueta "dissed" the two, according to police. After 
the attack, the assailants drove away and Peneueta was left lying in 
the street under the glow of streetlights as onlookers gathered nearby.

Police recovered 14 shell casings from a rifle and four spent shotgun 
casings at the scene.

"This incident illustrates why we need strong drug laws and 
punishment of those seeking to profit by trafficking," said Honolulu 
Police Chief Boisse P. Correa. "It is a dangerous undertaking, not 
only for those involved but for law enforcement and the entire community."

Pasene and Rye are being held without bail because they pose a 
"significant threat to the public and community," according to prosecutors.

DRUG GANG

All three men were members of the Chinatown drug gang known as the 
"Friscos," coined after their San Francisco roots, but they began to 
argue recently after business went bad, law enforcement officials say.

Pasene was arrested the evening before the shooting on suspicion of 
third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug. But he was released after 
he and another man posted bail. At the time of the shooting, Rye was 
also free on bail pending sentencing for first-degree promotion of a 
dangerous drug, court records show.

Two days after the killing, Pasene was picked up on a federal arrest 
warrant by DEA agents and Honolulu police. The DEA investigation is 
open and ongoing.

The shooting, which occurred in the middle of a Downtown street, was 
reminiscent of the execution-style killing of Benjamin Grajeda in May 2007.

Grajeda, an alleged drug dealer from North Hollywood, Calif., ran 
afoul of a group of Maui drug dealers originally from Alabama and was 
kidnapped and then gunned down in the middle of Kane'ohe Bay Drive 
when he tried to get away.

"Rival drug gang members shooting each other in the street is not 
something we usually see in Hawai'i. You typically see shootings like 
this in larger, urban areas on the Mainland," said FBI Special Agent 
Brandon Simpson.

"This office will continue to work with our federal and local 
law-enforcement partners to monitor Mainland and local drug 
trafficking organizations and ensure that their feuds don't end up on 
our streets."

KANE'OHE SHOOTING

The Grajeda incident began when Grajeda was allegedly kidnapped by 
three men who forced their way into his Pu'uohala'i Place apartment.

The group intended to rob Grajeda of cash and drugs, police said. 
Grajeda was placed in the trunk of a car but managed to escape.

After the shooting, police staged an islandwide manhunt and arrested 
Jerrico Dewon "Rick" Lindsey and William Freeman in Hale'iwa. 
Reginald "Red" Pettway was allegedly with them but eluded arrest and 
returned to Alabama.

Lindsey, 28, the accused shooter, is charged with second-degree 
murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, kidnapping, 
first-degree terroristic threatening and four firearm offenses. His 
trial is pending.

Freeman, who told police he drove the getaway car, was to be tried on 
charges of kidnapping and hindering prosecution.

Melissa Ordonez, 22, also known as Rihanna Joy Valentino, allegedly 
set up the drug-related heist, police have said.

Ordonez told the other suspects that Grajeda had a large amount of 
drugs and money at the apartment, but none was found, police said. 
She was charged with being an accomplice to first-degree burglary, 
first-degree robbery and kidnapping.

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Advertiser Staff writer Jim Dooley contributed to this report.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart