Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-hi/pr/sitting-kauai-county-councilmember-and-eleven-others-charged-participation-drug
Timestamp: 2020-08-14 18:02:18
Document Index: 307881986

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 846', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 111', '§ 1512', '§ 841', '§ 1512', '§ 922', '§ 841', '§ 922', '§ 371']

Sitting Kauai County Councilmember and Eleven Others Charged with Participation in a Drug Trafficking Organization | USAO-HI | Department of Justice
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Sitting Kauai County Councilmember and Eleven Others Charged with Participation in a Drug Trafficking Organization
Charges Include Assault of a Federal Law Enforcement Officer, Witness Tampering, Evidence Tampering, and Firearm Offenses
KAUAI, Hawaii – Kenji M. Price, the United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, Jonathan E. Blais, Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), Todd Raybuck, Chief of the Kauai Police Department (“KPD”), and Lucia Cabral-Dearmas, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Honolulu Office (“HSI”) announced the unsealing of an Indictment today charging ARTHUR BRUN, and 11 other defendants with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The Indictment also charges substantive drug trafficking offenses, an assault on a federal law enforcement officer, witness tampering, evidence tampering, and firearm offenses. As alleged in the Indictment, BRUN participated in these offenses while serving as an elected member of the Kauai County Council.
Eleven of the defendants were arrested yesterday and will be arraigned in federal court later today before the Honorable Rom Trader, United States Magistrate Judge. The twelfth defendant, ORLANDO MANGUCHEI, was already in federal custody serving a sentence for violating the terms of supervised release.
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed yesterday[1]:
From at least June 2019, and continuing to in or about January 2020, ARTHUR BRUN, aka “Ata,” MALUELUE UMU, aka “Malu,” KELVIN KAUWILA KAI, aka “Kauwila,” STEVEN KELIIKULI, KANIU HUIHUI, SHEENA MILLARE, EFREN YANOS, KIRSTEN MAKANOE AYAU, aka “Makanoe,” ORLANDO MANGUCHEI, aka “Ole,” ROBBY SILVA, HAIDEE SUEYASU, and PHRYSTAL BACIO, the defendants, and others known and unknown, conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
BRUN ran this drug trafficking conspiracy while, at the same time, serving as an elected member of the Kauai County Council and the Vice Chair of its Public Safety & Human Services Committee. One of BRUN’s suppliers of methamphetamine was UMU, who was a “shot caller,” or leader, of the United Samoan Organization, a gang that operates both inside and outside of the prison system in the State of Hawaii.
On or about October 29, 2019, BRUN assaulted a state law enforcement officer who was acting in cooperation with and under the control of federal officers. BRUN committed this assault during a traffic stop in an effort to conceal methamphetamine that he had in his possession at the time. The officer asked BRUN to get out of his car and gave him other instructions. Instead of complying with the officer’s commands, BRUN placed the vehicle in drive and sped off, injuring the police officer, who had his hand and shoulder in the car as he tried to remove the keys from the ignition. BRUN then led the police on a high speed chase during which he threw a backpack containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine out of the car.
After the assault, BRUN made efforts to conceal the methamphetamine to avoid its use in any official proceeding by attempting to corruptly persuade another person to provide false information to the KPD about the ownership of the backpack.
Multiple defendants possessed or conspired to possess firearms or ammunition. In January 2020, KELIIKULI possessed a Smith and Wesson .38 Special, and six rounds of ammunition, after having been convicted of a felony. Also in January 2020, SILVA possessed various sizes, calibers, and types of ammunition after having been convicted of a felony. In about October 2019, BRUN conspired to supply a firearm and ammunition to MANGUCHEI, despite both men having previously been convicted of a felony.
Charts containing the name, ages, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
U.S. Attorney Price praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF, KPD, and HSI. He also thanked the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Micah Smith are handling the prosecution.
1 Drug trafficking conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846 ARTHUR BRUN (48)
MALUELUE UMU (50)
KELVIN KAUWILA KAI (38)
STEVEN KELIIKULI (50)
KANIU HUIHUI (39)
SHEENA MILLARE (37)
EFREN YANOS (57)
KIRSTEN MAKANOE AYAU (36)
ORLANDO MANGUCHEI (48)
ROBBY SILVA (57)
HAIDEE SUEYASU (43)
PHRYSTAL BACIO (37) Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
2 Distribution of methamphetamine
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) ARTHUR BRUN
SHEENA MILLARE 20 years in prison
3 Attempted possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846 ARTHUR BRUN
KANIU HUIHUI 40 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of five years in prison
4 Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A) ARTHUR BRUN
MALUELUE UMU Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
5 Assault of a Federal Law Enforcement Officer
18 U.S.C. §§ 111(a)(1) and 111(b) ARTHUR BRUN 20 years in prison
6 Obstruction of Justice through Evidence Tampering
18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1) ARTHUR BRUN
KELVIN KAUWILA KAI 20 years in prison
7 Distribution of methamphetamine
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) ARTHUR BRUN 20 years in prison
8 Distribution of methamphetamine
9 Obstruction of Justice through Witness Tampering
18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3) ARTHUR BRUN 20 years in prison
10 Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) STEVEN KELIIKULI 10 years in prison
11 Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B) ROBBY SILVA 40 years in prison
12 Felon in Possession of Ammunition
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) ROBBY SILVA 10 years in prison
13 Conspiracy to Possess Firearm and Ammunition as Felons
18 U.S.C. § 371 ARTHUR BRUN
ORLANDO MANGUCHEI 5 years in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment is merely an accusation and that the defendant(s) are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
USAO - Hawaii
Ashley Mah Edwards Ashley.Edwards@usdoj.gov