Posted on: Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Ex-Maui police officer gets jail time for role in 'ice' ring

Associated Press

A former Maui police officer was sentenced to nearly four years in prison yesterday for his role in a major crystal methamphetamine distribution ring.

U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor sentenced James Mateaki to three years and 10 months in a federal prison. He faced a maximum of 10 years of incarceration.

He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy under an agreement in which prosecutors dropped three counts that charged him with facilitating the distribution of the drugs.

Mateaki admitted that he was an associate of Polotani Latu, whom prosecutors said was the head of the largest "ice" distribution ring on Maui from 2000 to 2002.

The FBI said Mateaki allegedly provided Latu and others with confidential information that he had access to as a police officer.

Mateaki, who served as a patrol officer in Wailuku and a member of the special-response team, was fired last year after nearly nine years with the Maui Police Department. He was among 40 people indicted in the case in 2002.

The FBI said the group would smuggle drugs between the West Coast, Hawai'i and the South Pacific.