Posted on: Saturday, October 2, 2004

13 arrested; 2 lbs. of ice seized on Maui

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Maui police and federal agents made 13 arrests and seized $250,000 and 2 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in a raid on 11 Maui homes Thursday, capping a 21-month investigation into a drug ring that distributed ice from Mexico on Maui and Lana'i.

Ed Kubo, U.S. attorney for the District of Hawai'i, said yesterday that "Operation Tap-Out" had knocked out at least one line of supply into Lana'i, where one-tenth of the 3,300 residents have a substance-abuse problem. He said the ring had been bringing as much as 20 pounds of ice a month to Maui since November 2000.

"If true, and assuming a user consumes 1/16th gram of ice, that's 145,152 hits," Kubo said.

The 13 people in custody charged with conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine are Maui residents Moses "Paele" Kiakona, 33; Sham Vierra, 43; George Keahi Jr., aka "Uncle Louie" or "Opelu," 64; Antonio Panlasigui Jr., 31; Dawn R. Galarita, 30; Leslie Jaramillo, 31; Tiare M. Smith, 33; Adele M. Criste, 46; Robert Eisler, 56; Glenn P. Fernandez, 40; and Melissa Ordonez, 19, and Lana'i residents Arnold C. Arruiza, 37, and Mary Vandervelde, 21.

All except Fernandez, who is being held at the Maui Community Correctional Center for violation of parole, are being held without bail at the Federal Detention Center.

Arrest warrants have been issued for three others: Marco Antonio Davidson-Cervantes of Tijuana, Mexico; Fernando Iribe-Tirado, 43, and Brian U'u, 37, of Maui. Davidson-Cervantes, who has no right arm, and Iribe-Tirado are not believed to be in Hawai'i.

A wiretap on Vierra's cell phone from July through September provided key information in the investigation.

According to a criminal complaint by FBI special agent Joel D. Rudow, Fernandez, who had $7,600 cash and 2.5 grams of ice when arrested, told police his source for 10 years had been

Kiakona, to whom he owed a $14,000 drug debt. Fernandez said Kiakona did not have a job and "spent his time paddling canoe and raising chickens to fight."

Fernandez said Kiakona obtained ice from Mexican and Tongan suppliers and that Kiakona had "already made his millions" and was slowing down his drug business in Wailuku and Kihei.

Of the $250,000 seized in the raids, $141,782 was found in Kiakona's home.

"As you can see, there's money in this," said Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips said. "I don't know how many of you have $140,000 (lying around) the house. That's what they're in this for."

Phillips said ice is the most significant crime problem on Maui.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.