Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, May 22, 1997

Two isle men indicted
in federal drug case

Two Hawaii men charged with trafficking tons of marijuana into the United States acquired property, businesses, bank accounts and stock with drug profits laundered through "shell corporations" here and abroad, federal authorities said.

Michael Gary Miller, 48, of Haleiwa, and his 41-year-old brother Paul E. Miller, a Haiku, Maui, resident, grossed more than $20 million since the early 1970s from smuggling and distributing marijuana from Thailand, according to an 85-count indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in Idaho.

The brothers will be tried in Idaho.

Paul Miller was arrested yesterday in Honolulu. A detention hearing will be held tomorrow.

Michael Miller was taken into custody by Indonesian police in Bali, where his 68-foot catamaran "Humu Humu" was docked. He probably will be taken to Guam to appear before a federal magistrate, then to Idaho.

Federal authorities have seized property worth more than $14 million and $20 million cash for forfeiture, Idaho assistant U.S. attorney Monte Stiles said yesterday at a news conference in Honolulu.

Deputy marshal faces
sexual assault charge

A deputy U.S. marshal has turned himself in to police after a grand jury earlier this week indicted him for sexual assault.

Police said Leonard Sabatino, 47, surrendered yesterday on eight counts of sexually assaulting a 34-year-old mentally disabled woman, who was employed at the Prince Kuhio Federal Building, where Sabatino worked.

Police said the sex assaults occurred on two occasions in 1996.

Chem-arms incinerator
to be inspected by team

Within the next 30 days, an international observation team will be sent to Johnston Atoll to inspect the Army's chemical weapons disposal facility.

Under terms of a recently ratified international chemical weapons treaty, the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System facility must be inspected by members of the international agency created under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

A permanent international observation team will then be assigned to Johnston Atoll, located 700 miles southwest of Hawaii.

The team will be assigned to Johnston until completion of the dismantling and incineration of all chemical weapons stored on island, the Army said.

The $240 million facility that began operation in 1990 has destroyed 65 percent of the chemical munitions stored there, the Army said. That includes 72,000 nerve agent rockets, 210,000 pounds of bulk nerve and blister agents, and 145,000 nerve and blister agent artillery projectiles.

The Chemical Weapons Convention, ratified by more than 88 countries so far, seeks to rid the world of all chemical weapons within 10 to 15 years.

Talks on Kauai landfill
transfer off to good start

LIHUE -- Kauai County and union officials say they are cautiously optimistic after the first round of negotiations over returning the island's only landfill to public control.

"It's looking like maybe we can work this thing out without the county taking a bath in the process," said Bob Mullins, administrative aide to Mayor Maryanne Kusaka.

Attorneys for the United Public Workers union, the county and its Kekaha landfill contractor, Sanifill Hawaii, met together first yesterday afternoon, then had a private session with Circuit Judge George Masuoka.

Masuoka is supervising the transfer after ruling last week that the county's contract with Sanifill violated a Supreme Court decision that prohibits privatizing jobs once held by union workers.

He yesterday directed UPW attorney Herbert Takahashi to prepare an order outlining the issues involved in the transfer and proposals for resolving them.

Mullins said the county must respond by June 2 to union questions regarding a timetable for obtaining permits and amending the operating plan for the landfill to allow a county takeover.

None of the attorneys would discuss the tentative proposals until the order is filed. But Mullins said the parties appeared to be "sincerely trying to find a win-win-win solution for everybody."

Driver's racial slur
costly for TheBus

Oahu Transit Services has agreed to pay an African-American woman $10,000 to settle a racial discrimination complaint filed with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.

Jacqueline Langley said a bus driver refused to answer her questions and made racially derogatory remarks to her.

In its investigation, the commission determined there was reasonable cause that unlawful discrimination by the bus driver had taken place. Langley agreed to withdraw the discrimination complaint and release TheBus from further claims in exchange for the monetary settlement.

Oahu Transit Services also agreed to provide training for employees and post information on Hawaii law prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations, says William Hoshijo of the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.

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Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

Police investigate death
on Big Isle as a homicide

HILO -- Police are conducting a murder investigation regarding a man found dead of an apparent gunshot wound yesterday, they said.

Police received the report at 5:07 p.m. regarding a house on Malaai Road in the Waiakea Uka area of the city.

They described the scene as showing evidence of foul play and said they were not immediately able to identify the victim.

Kauai officials still trying
to ID drowning victim

LIHUE -- Kauai police today are still trying to identify the hiker who apparently drowned yesterday afternoon while swimming at Hanakapiai Beach in Na Pali Coast State Park.

Police had few details about the incident, which was reported at 1:21 p.m.

The victim, a visitor to the island, was taken by boat to nearby Makua (Tunnels) Beach, where he was pronounced dead by paramedics.

Police are seeking more information from the man's hiking companions, who reportedly were hiking out of the wilderness park on the Kalalau Trail yesterday afternoon.

Other Police/Fire headlines
in today’s Star-Bulletin:

• S&L branch robbed
  
• Man pulls gun, steals car

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Info] section for subscription information.