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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, August 31, 2002

Teacher to receive mental review

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A Nanakuli Elementary School teacher accused of smuggling gun parts to Hawai'i from Germany to convert a semi-automatic assault rifle to a fully automatic machine gun was ordered yesterday by a federal magistrate to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Under Magistrate Barry Kurren orders, John Kadota will be turned over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and transported to a Mainland facility to see if he is able to aid in his own defense. Kurren estimated the process will take at least 45 days and ordered Kadota to return to court in Honolulu on Oct. 21.

Kadota, who was dressed in the denim clothing issued to crime suspects held at the Federal Detention Center, stood and smiled broadly as his case was called, but was not asked to and did not speak during the brief proceeding.

His lawyer, Loretta Faymonville, asked that the mental health review not include an evaluation of Kadota's "dangerousness." Kurren granted the request, saying it could be done at a later date.

Kadota, a computer resources teacher, was named in a five-count indictment on Wednesday accusing him of three firearms offenses, including possession of a machine gun.

In a document filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Silverberg on Thursday listing reasons why Kadota should be held without bail, Kadota was portrayed as a teacher with anger management problems who frightened colleagues.

"It has gotten so bad that teachers at Nanakuli Elementary School have compared Mr. Kadota to the 'Xerox guy,' i.e. Byran Uyesugi who killed seven of his coworkers in the worst mass murder in Hawaii's history," Silverberg said in the statement.

A series of angry outbursts toward school Principal Sandy Ahu and Vice Principal Wendy Takahashi, often sent via the school's internal e-mail system, contributed to concerns about Kadota, Silverberg said, resulting in meetings with him and memos on how to address the problem.

"Despite these meetings and memoranda, Mr. Kadota has continued to refuse to take any anger management classes or obtain any anger management counseling," Silverberg said in his request that Kadota be held without bail. "His inability to control his temper has continued into 2002," Silverberg said.

According to a pre-trial services report, Kadota has been diagnosed as being bi-polar with manic depression problems and has been undergoing psychiatric treatment that includes taking the anti-depressant drug Prozac three times per day, Silverberg said.

Silverberg said Kadota admitted becoming severely depressed in 1999 after breaking up with his girlfriend.

In summarizing his request that Kadota be held without bail, Silverberg wrote: "He appears to be like a simmering volcano waiting to erupt. Releasing him into the community under these circumstances would be taking a huge risk that should not be taken."

Silverberg yesterday confirmed that law enforcement officials removed 17 firearms from Kadota's Kapolei home following his arrest. He described the weapons as a mix of rifles, assault rifles and handguns.

He deferred to the Honolulu Police Department questions about whether Kadota was issued permits to purchase weapons after his mental health problems began.

Under state law, firearm registration information is confidential. But at least two of Kadota's requests in recent years to purchase additional firearms were denied.

According to Department of Education records, Kadota began working at Kamaile Elementary School in 1992, moved to 'Ewa Elementary School in 1996 and has been at Nanakuli since 1998.

Greg Knudsen, a department spokesman, said Kadota has been placed on "department-directed administrative leave," a paid status.

Reach David Waite at 525-8030, or dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.