Man pleads guilty to isle cocaine scheme
A 34-year-old man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to smuggling large amounts of cocaine in May from Los Angeles to Honolulu with the intent to distribute.Big Island police began investigating the case after learning John James Montoya would be traveling to Los Angeles to pick up cocaine, a news release by the U.S. Attorney's office stated.
Montoya traveled to Los Angeles on May 21 and checked in a cooler as an item of luggage containing 1,950 grams of cocaine and food items, and returned to Hilo through Honolulu Airport.
Montoya admitted he had previously traveled to Los Angeles on different occasions with a cooler in which he would carry drugs, which were flown back to Hawaii to be distributed.
Montoya faces a maximum term of 40 years when he is sentenced Nov. 13.
Hawaii man believed dead at Lake Shasta
LAKE SHASTA, Calif. >> The search continued yesterday for a 64-year-old Hawaii man who sheriff's officials believe drowned in Lake Shasta on Wednesday night.The man, whose name was withheld pending notification of his wife on Maui, would be the fourth person to die in Lake Shasta this year, said Shasta County Sgt. Mark Jenkins.
The man and his daughter were boating on Elmore Bay south of Sugarloaf Marina when they decided to cool off with a jump in the lake.
"She got out of the water OK and he didn't," Jenkins said.
Boating deputies and a seven-member dive team searched the 150-foot-deep water, but had found nothing by early evening.
Jury alleges man smuggled Asian aliens
A federal grand jury in Honolulu indicted a man yesterday for allegedly smuggling illegal aliens from India and other Asian countries posing as his wife into the United States.Anand Sharma allegedly conspired to smuggle seven women on separate occasions from Dec. 29, 1999 to July 15, 2002 into New York, Seattle and Honolulu.
Sharma would accompany the women on commercial flights, providing them with his wife's passport, whose photograph had been altered, to enter the United States, according to the indictment.
The women allegedly paid Sharma through an agent from $20,000 to $25,000 after successfully smuggling them in.
The indictment said Sharma allegedly conspired with others to bring in aliens for financial gain.
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>> Goodwill Industries of Hawaii Inc. has been awarded $20,000 from the First Hawaiian Foundation towards the purchase of production and retail equipment to increase the efficiency of operations. [TAKING NOTICE]
>> Mayor Jeremy Harris proclaimed May 31 Christine Woolaway Day to honor the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Extension agent for bringing together public and private organizations to help remove marine debris and to protect ocean and coastal environments.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also awarded Woolaway the 2002 Environmental Hero Award, and Gov. Ben Cayetano commended her outstanding efforts.
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>> The last name of Republican House candidate Chris Prendergast was misspelled as Pendergast in a Page A1 story Wednesday on the state legislative races. Corrections and clarifications
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Managing Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
WINDWARD OAHU
Hauula woman's car veers into Kahana Bay
Honolulu firefighters rescued a 30-year-old Hauula woman last night after her car veered off Kamehameha Highway and plunged into Kahana Bay.The woman was flown by a medical helicopter to Queen's Medical Center, where she was reported in fair condition this morning.
Police said the woman was driving toward Kaneohe about 9:49 p.m. when her car landed in about three feet of water near the boat ramp.
Man allegedly bites ex-girlfriend's husband
Police arrested a 40-year-old Waimanalo man Wednesday night after he allegedly bit his ex-girlfriend's husband on the chest in a fight.The victim, a 28-year-old Waimanalo man, was taken to Castle Medical Center for treatment of deep bite marks and then released, police said. He also had a bite mark on one of his fingers.
The ex-boyfriend went to the victim's Inoaole Street home about 10:30 p.m. to fight the husband, police said. The husband reported that after the fight, his assailant retrieved a machete and threatened him with it.
The ex-boyfriend was arrested for investigation of assault and terroristic threatening and released pending further investigation.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Big Isle police identify traffic accident fatality
Big Island police identified Andy Pascubillo, 52, of Kukuihaele, Hamakua, as the man killed in a traffic accident near the Four Seasons Resort Hualalae in Kona on Wednesday.Pascubillo, a security guard, was driving a Kawasaki all-terrain vehicle on Queen Kaahumanu Highway where he was struck by a 1993 Toyota two-door sedan, police said.
The accident occurred sometime before 5:10 a.m., police said. Pascubillo was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A 21-year-old Kealakekua man, who was driving the sedan, was taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released.
Police are investigating the incident as a negligent homicide case.
Big Island man sought for questioning
Big Island police are asking for help in finding for Roy Ernest Espinosa Jr., 22, who is wanted on three warrants charging him with contempt of court and for questioning in a police investigation.Espinosa's last known residence was in Pahoa, Puna. He is 5-feet-9, about 195 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair.
Anyone with information may call police at 935-3311, or CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo, or 329-8181 in Kona.
HONOLULU
Man tries to buy watch with stolen credit card
Surveillance videotape at an Ala Moana Center store led to the arrest of a man suspected of using a stolen credit card to buy a wristwatch, police said.Police said a man made the purchase on July 12 and left the watch at the store to have the watch band adjusted. When the store called the card owner's home to say the watch was ready, the owner said he hadn't purchased a watch, police said.
The card owner went to the store and looked at the videotape.
He identified the buyer as a 25-year-old relative.
Store security then called the suspect, and when he came to the store, he was detained for police yesterday.
He was arrested on suspicion of fraudulent use of credit card and released pending further investigation.
HPD anticipates heist and makes arrest
Police and FBI agents arrested a 47-year-old Honolulu man yesterday after learning he was going to rob a bank.They staked out the King Street branch of American Savings Bank and arrested the man about 9:30 a.m. The FBI received detailed information concerning the time and place the robbery would occur, police said.
When the suspect arrived, he was arrested without incident, police said.
