Ex-guard held in
prison drug probeA former Halawa prison guard is the third person to be arrested in an ongoing federal and state investigation into drug smuggling at Halawa Correctional Facility.
Richard Brooks, 45, of Salt Lake, was arrested Friday at a Mililani gas station, the same day a Honolulu attorney and a Halawa prison guard were arrested for allegedly possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The arrests stemmed from information provided by an unidentified Halawa inmate who has been cooperating with Honolulu police, according to a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court.
The inmate allegedly told police that attorney T. Stephen Leong would purchase the drugs and hand them off to a guard who brought them into the prison for the inmates, according to the complaint.
Both Leong and Halawa prison guard Melvin Moisa were charged in federal court with possession of two ounces of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Brooks was charged in state court with first-degree promotion of dangerous drugs.
Brooks was employed at the Halawa prison and held the rank of lieutenant until about a year ago when he was fired, said acting Halawa warden Clayton Frank. He said he did not know why Brooks was terminated.
Police officer Joseph Amasiu testified yesterday in state District Court that he was assigned to deliver $5,000 and two ounces of methamphetamine last Friday to a man named "Richard" -- later identified as Brooks -- as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.
Amasiu had received a call the day before from "Richard," and they discussed the delivery of two ounces of "ice" and $5,000.
They arranged to meet at the Mililani Wal-Mart for the exchange the next day.
While driving to Wal-Mart, Amasiu said he was called again by "Richard," who told him to meet at the nearby Tesoro station because Wal-Mart was too crowded.
Amasiu said he gave the man an envelope containing two individually bagged ounces of crystal methamphetamine and a white envelope containing $5,000.
After counting the money, "Richard" got out of his car and entered his own car as federal agents and police arrested him, Amasiu said.
Brooks was to deliver the drugs and cash to his attorney, according to an affidavit filed by officer Douglas Vollrath, of the Honolulu Police Department's Narcotics/Vice Division, who participated in the arrest.
The attorney is not named in the complaint.
District Judge Russel Nagata found there was sufficient evidence to charge Brooks with first-degree promotion of dangerous drugs, and bound him over to be arraigned in Circuit Court on May 5.
Nagata also reduced Brooks' bail to $100,000 from $200,000.
Also yesterday, U.S. Magistrate Leslie Kobayashi released Leong on $50,000 bond secured with $10,000 cash.
Among the conditions of Leong's release were that he not communicate with inmates or prison guards, not use illegal drugs and that he surrender his passport. He was also ordered not to take a diet drug that contained ephedra in case it interferes with random drug tests he will take.
Leong was arrested Friday after he allegedly handed an undercover officer a white envelope containing $3,000 and received two ounces of "ice" in an envelope.
After the hearing yesterday, Leong declined to talk to reporters.
Frank said yesterday that in some random drug testing during the past five months, 20 percent of the 1,240 inmates at Halawa tested positive for "ice" use. Frank said the Halawa test results vary from a low of about 5 percent to the high of 20 percent.
Frank acknowledged that "ice" use is high at Halawa compared with other facilities.
At Oahu Community Correctional Center, where Frank served previously as warden, he said routinely about 2 percent to 3 percent of the population tested positive for "ice."
The highest test rate he saw there was 5 percent.
Tests are performed at least twice a month at the prisons.