Get Active Subscribe Support Us

MAN IN DRUG TRAFFICKING CASE TURNS HIMSELF IN

WAILUKU - The head of a Paia-based medical marijuana advocacy group turned himself in to police Friday, three months after being reindicted along with five others in an alleged marijuana trafficking operation.

[name redacted], 55, who gave a Makawao address, was released after posting $100,000 bail on a warrant resulting from a Maui County grand jury indictment in June.

He is charged with criminal conspiracy, first- and second-degree commercial promotion of marijuana, second-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, first- and second-degree promotion of a harmful drug and six counts of possessing drug paraphernalia.

The charges stem from a two-year police investigation called "Operation Weedkiller."

By November 2008, police reported seizing hundreds of marijuana plants and clones, processed and unprocessed marijuana, drug paraphernalia, $14,000 cash and a vehicle as part of the investigation that centered on the organization Patients Without Time.

[name redacted] founded and headed the group, which police allege exploited medical marijuana laws to sell the drug to hundreds of people.

The case against [name redacted] and the other defendants was dismissed earlier this year after 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza ruled there was a flaw in the procedure used to obtain the original grand jury indictment.

[snip]

[name redacted]'s arraignment is pending.