2 Big Isle men charged in drug and gun offenses
Two Puna stepbrothers were charged with drug offenses after police served search warrants on their homes Thursday.
Charged were 31-year-old David Benevides of Opihikao and 22- year-old Alan "Pele" Peleiholani of Hawaiian Paradise Park.
Vice officers went to Peleiholani's home with a search warrant at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. They recovered a small amount of cocaine, some steroid vials and other drug paraphernalia along with a shotgun, a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition, police said. Officers arrested Peleiholani.
Vice officers executed a second search warrant at 7:30 a.m. Thursday on Benevides' home and recovered 94 grams of dried marijuana, six marijuana plants and drug paraphernalia, police said. Fourteen other marijuana plants were located on an adjoining property with distinct trails leading to the Benevides lot.
Benevides was arrested after he drove up to the property and then fled in his vehicle, which police stopped on Route 137.
The investigation led to the Keaau home of the two men's mother. After obtaining consent to search that home, police recovered several items reportedly left there by the two men. The items including a small safe and gun cases.
Police then obtained another search warrant to look inside the safe and gun cases. They found 59.9 grams of methamphetamine, 30.7 grams of cocaine, pills, drug paraphernalia, a shotgun that had previously been reported stolen, two 7.62 assault rifles -- including one with its serial number filed off -- and ammunition.
Benevides and Peleiholani were arrested Saturday on additional drug and firearm charges.
Peleiholani was charged Saturday with promoting a dangerous drug in the third degree, promoting a harmful drug in the fourth degree, two counts of drug paraphernalia and four firearm offenses. He was released after posting $3,500 bail for the charges related to the search of his home. He was released pending further investigation on the charges related to evidence recovered from his mother's home.
Benevides has been turned over to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration for prosecution on two counts of promoting a dangerous drug, two counts of drug paraphernalia, one count of promoting a harmful drug and seven firearm offenses, police said.