Honolulu police officer charged in drug heist
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
A Honolulu police officer who starred for the University of Hawai'i baseball team in the 1990s, has been charged in federal court with conspiring to steal an "ice" shipment from drug dealers and then sell the drugs for a $100,000 profit.
Harold Cabbab Jr. was charged in a federal complaint that was unsealed yesterday with intentionally trying to possess and distribute methamphetamine, or ice. He is accused of plotting with another person to steal between 18 pounds and 20 pounds of ice and four pounds of cocaine soon after the shipment arrived from California.
Cabbab was an all-around athlete at Kamehameha Schools, but played baseball when he attended UH. He completed his eligibility in 1992 and joined the police force soon after.
From October to Dec. 10, Cabbab met with another person to plan the heist, according to an affidavit by an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed in U.S. District Court. The co-conspirator cooperated with federal officials during the investigation.
According to the affidavit:
During early stages of the plan, Cabbab suggested dressing in long-sleeved HPD logo T-shirts, dark clothing and masks when they robbed the drug dealers. During one planning session, Cabbab went to his friend's house while wearing his HPD uniform and driving his police vehicle.
The two also discussed an earlier incident that Cabbab said went wrong. Cabbab said he was supposed to take a bag of marijuana from a man in a Waikiki hotel, but Cabbab said he was on the wrong floor.
He said he followed the person to Hawai'i Kai and just "took the ... bag. Make like I was working," according to the affidavit.
Conversations between Cabbab and the "cooperating individual" (C.I.) were recorded and transcripts made. Often, Cabbab expressed concern that the drug shipment might be monitored by police.
As the day of the robbery approached, the two discussed renting an SUV and pretending to be police officers making a drug bust. Cabbab suggested wearing ski masks "with pukas in the eyes," according to the affidavit.
"A lot of times you don't want the people to see your face when you undercover kine stuff," Cabbab was quoted in the affidavit. He added, "I tell you what, brah. You go over there making like these guys getting busted. ... In order to rob 'em, we going have to ... punch 'em out."
Cabbab also advised the other person to carry a gun.
"You gotta carry one gun, I think," Cabbab is quoted. "Just hope we don't get into one shootout. You know what I mean?"
The affidavit continued:
The drugs were supposed to be in a truck that was being shipped from California on a container ship. But federal agents took the planted phony methamphetamine from the truck on Dec. 7 and placed it in a storage locker in Makiki.
Early Dec. 10, agents saw two people breaking into a locked gate at the storage facility. One of the men, identified in the affidavit as Cabbab, was armed with a 9mm handgun.
The two then used a bolt cutter to enter a locker and were seen removing several items. The two took the packages to C.I.'s business where Cabbab opened the plastic bags that contained the "drugs" before leaving, according to the affidavit.
Cabbab was arrested soon after.
Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.
