Ex-officer appears in
court in ‘ice’ case

A former police officer arrested Oct. 16 after police seized crystal methamphetamine at his Kalihi home made his first appearance in District Court yesterday on drug and firearm charges.

Rogelio Mata's arrest came after police executed a search warrant at 1723 Kam IV Road as part of a drug investigation. He was found in a bedroom where police also found a plastic bag containing crystal methamphetamine, a plastic scale covered with "ice" and a glass pipe known for smoking the drug.

A storage room at the home also contained more packets containing crystal meth, another glass pipe and plastic scale, and a blue velvet bag containing 83 .22-caliber rounds of ammunition, according to police.

Police also found a Winchester model 190 rifle in the home.

Mata, 62, was one of five people arrested at the home. He is charged with third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In 1991, Mata, then a Honolulu police officer, was convicted of conspiracy for his role in a Hawaii Kai burglary ring. Prosecutors said he used information he gathered as an officer to identify homes to burglarize and shared with the thieves the status of the burglary investigations.