Athletic director faces drug charges

The Academy of the Pacific employee was allegedly mailed a package of marijuana

An athletic director for a local private school faces drug charges after he was allegedly mailed more than a pound of marijuana.

Brad Kitsu was charged Sunday with second-degree commercial promotion of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Kitsu is athletic director for the Academy of the Pacific, and also teaches English, physical education and middle school study skills.

Kitsu was arrested Friday at his home at 1255 Nuuanu Ave., along with 32-year-old Wayne Morris Roe Jr., who has been charged with first-degree promotion of detrimental drugs.

Last Thursday, the police Narcotics Vice Division Parcel Interdiction Team intercepted a FedEx parcel addressed to Kitsu, which contained a pound and a half of marijuana.

Police received court approval to place a monitoring device in the parcel, which was delivered to Kitsu's apartment.

The monitoring device triggered, indicating the parcel was opened, court documents state.

Police entered the apartment and found Kitsu, Roe and another man with fluorescent powder on their clothes when put under a black light, which showed all three allegedly made contact with the weed.

The third man, who is not a resident of the apartment, also was arrested but was later released. Roe also was arrested on three warrants amounting to $1,300 in bail. Kitsu and Roe both posted $15,000 bail.

Police said there is no indication yet that Kitsu was selling drugs to students.

Mollie Sperry, head of Academy of the Pacific, said Kitsu has been placed under suspension with pay pending the outcome of the investigation and court proceedings.

Kitsu's arrest is the latest in a string of drug cases involving educators. One of them involves Bronwyn Marie Kugle, a 38-year-old Kaelepulu Elementary School teacher, who faces federal charges stemming from a shipment of 990 tablets of Ecstasy and 2.2 pounds of cocaine.