ʻO Nā Kealoha, Nā Pāʻina Kōkeina, A Me Ke Oxycodone
Ma kekahi hoʻokolokolo e hiki mai ana, ua hoʻāhewa ʻia ko Katherine Kealoha kaikunāne ʻo Rudolph Puana i ka hoʻoholo ʻana i kekahi lina lāʻau kuhikuhi ma kona kikowaena lāʻau hoʻēmi ʻeha ma ka Moku o Keawe.
Kā ka luna hoʻoponopono nota: Unuhi ʻia na Ākea Kahikina. Click here to read this article in English.
Ua kū mai ʻo Katherine Kealoha no ka paʻi kiʻi ʻia ʻana me kekahi laina kōkeina ma luna o ko kāna kāne pākaukau hana ma kona kū luna mākaʻi ʻana e lanakila ai kekahi piliwaiwai, wahi a kekahi mau moʻolelo ʻaha hoʻokolokolo i hoʻopihapiha ʻia aku nei.
ʻO ka manaʻo i upu leʻa ʻia aʻela mai nā loio hoʻokolokolo mai, he māhele nō ia ma kekahi noiʻi kalaima e pili ana i ko Kealoha kaikunāne ʻo Rudolph Puana, ʻo ia hoʻi kekahi kauka hoʻēmi ʻeha ma ka Moku o Keawe, a ua hoʻāhewa ʻia ʻo ia e ka U.S Justice Department no ka hoʻoholo ʻana i lina lāʻau kuhikuhi kūʻē kānāwai, a ma laila lākou ʻo kona mau hoa e kālepa aku ai i nā lāʻau opioids no ke kōkeina a me ke kālā.
ʻO Kealoha, he loio hoʻokolokolo kūlanakauhale ʻo ia i ka wā i hala, ua nonoi maila ʻo ia i kona kū hewa ʻana no kāna hana ma ka ʻōhumu, e laʻa kona hūnā ʻana i kā kona kainunāne hana kalaima mai ke keʻena kaulike mai ma o ka hoʻoweliweli ʻana i kekahi kālepa lāʻau ʻino e noho mū e pili ana i ke kīnohi o nā lāʻau kuhikuhi i loaʻa ma kona hale ma kekahi pākaha mākaʻi.
Nui nā makahiki a Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wheat e noiʻi aku ana i ka ʻapakeʻe ma Hawaiʻi. Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Ua hoʻonohonoho ʻia ʻo Puana no ka ʻaha hoʻokolokolo ma ka lā 14 o Kepakemapa, a e alo ana ʻo ia i nā ʻahewa he nui no ka hāʻawi ʻana i nā lāʻau e mālama ʻia e ke aupuni, e laʻa ke oxycodone a me ka fentanyl, a me nā ʻahewa ʻana i ka hoʻopunipuni ʻinikua olakino a me kona punihei e loaʻa nā pū he nui iā ia.
Ma nā palapala ʻaha hoʻokolokolo, ua kuhi aku nā loio hoʻokolokolo e alakaʻi ʻia e Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wheat no San Diego mai i ka ʻōlelo hōʻike a lākou e kaʻana aku ai ma ko Puana hoʻokolokolo hana kalaima.
Wahi a lākou, mai nā makahiki 2012 a i 2017, ʻo Puana kekahi kauka anesthesia i hōʻoiaʻiʻo pālua ʻia e ke keʻena, a ʻo ia ka ʻona o kekahi kikowaena lāʻau hoʻēmi ʻeha ma ka Moku o Keawe i hāʻawi i 25% o kāna mau kuhikuhi lāʻau no ke oxycodone — ma kahi o nā huaale he 7,000 — i kona mau hoa pili ʻo Christopher McKinney lāua ʻo Joshua Derego, a na lāua i kūʻai a kālepa aku i nā huaale no ke kōkeina.
“He hōʻike ka nui ʻino o nā huaale a Puana i hāʻawi aku ai i kēia mau kānaka i ka maʻamau ʻole o ka hoʻoholo ʻana i ke kaʻina hana ʻoihana, a ʻaʻole kēia no nā pahuhopu olakino maoli,” i kākau aku ai ʻo Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin McDonald i loko o kā ke aupuni nonoi ʻana aku.
“A, e like nō me kā kēlā mau hoa i hōʻoia aku ai ma ka hōʻike i hoʻohiki ʻia, ʻaʻole i pili iki kā Puana kuhikuhi lāʻau i ka lāʻau lapaʻau ʻana. ʻO ia hoʻi, ua kuhikuhi ʻo Puana i ka lako o nā huaale no kekahi mahina i hiki i kona mau hoa ke kūʻai aku i ua mau huaale nei ma ka mākeke kūʻē kānāwai e loaʻa ai ke kālā maʻalahi (a ua hoʻohana ʻia kekahi e uku ʻia ai nā pāʻina kōkeina me Puana).”
Ua hea inoa ʻia ʻo McKinney lāua ʻo DeRego ma nā palapala ʻaha hoʻokolokolo, akā ʻaʻole lāua i hoʻāhewa ʻia.
ʻO McKinney, he mea kākau kaulana ʻo ia ma Hawaiʻi, a ʻo ia ko Puana hoa wā kamaliʻi no Oʻahu mai. Ua kākau pū lāua i kekahi puke e pili ana i ko Puana wā kamaliʻi i kapa ʻia ʻo “The Red-Headed Hawaiian: The Inspiring Story about a Local Boy from Rural Hawaii Who Makes Good.”
Wahi a nā loio hoʻokolokolo, ua haʻi akula ʻo McKinney iā lākou, i ko lāua hana pū ʻana i ka puke, ua ʻai lāua i “nā kuaniki nunui o ke kōkeina.” Wahi a nā mea noiʻi, ua kākau ʻo Puana i kekahi kuhikuhi lāʻau no McKinney no ke oxycodon a ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia iā ia, hiki iā ia ke kūʻai aku i ka huaale pākahi no $15.
Pēlā pū ka pilina o DeRego me Puana, ua “kohu hoa hānau” lāua, wahi a nā loio hoʻokolokolo. Ua kolepa, inu, a ʻai kōkeina pū lāua. Ua hele pū kā lāua mau keiki i ke kula uku like.
Wahi a ka palapala ʻaha hoʻokolokolo, ua kākoʻo ʻo Puana a me kāna wahine i kekahi haʻawina kālā hele kula no kā DeRego mau keiki e hele kula, no ka mea, ua ʻāʻumeʻume ʻo ia e uku i ka uku kula. Wahi a ka ʻōlelo, ua hāʻawi ʻo Puana iā DeRego a me kāna wahine ʻo Elena Rodriquez i ke oxycodone no lāua e kūʻai aku ai no ka uku kula ʻana no kā lāua mau keiki.
Ua hoʻopili ʻo ia iā lāua i kekahi kālepa lāʻau ʻino ma ka Moku o Keawe i kuhi ʻia e nā loio hoʻokolokolo ʻo “the Hawaiian,” a ua haʻi akula hoʻi ʻo ia, hiki iā lāua ke kūʻai aku i ka huaale pākahi no $20. Ma waena o nā makahiki 2013 a i 2015, wahi a nā loio hoʻokolokolo, ua kuhikuhi ʻo Puana i nā huaale oxycodone he 4,000 a ʻoi iā Rodriguez a ua pale ʻia nā huaale e Medicaid.
Wahi a ka ʻōlelo, ua kū ʻo Katherine Kealoha no ka paʻi kiʻi ʻia ʻana me kekahi laina kōkeina ma luna o ko kāna kāne pākaukau hana ma kona wā e kū luna mākaʻi ana no Honolulu. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019
He māhele koʻikoʻi ʻo Kealoha ma ka hoʻolālā hāʻawi lāʻau ʻino, wahi a ka Justice Department, a ua hōʻoia ʻo ia pēlā ma kekahi ʻaelike noi ma ʻOkakopa ma ka makahiki 2019.
Ua ʻōlelo ka loio hoʻokolokolo, ua kākau kona kaikunāne i nā kuhikuhi lāʻau kūpono ʻole no ke olakino nona a me nā kānaka ʻē aʻe e hiki ai iā lākou ke kūʻai aku i nā lāʻau ma ke alahele a i ʻole e kālepa aku no ke kōkeina, a ʻo ka ʻai ihola nō ia o lākou i ua kōkeina nei no lākou iho.
Ua hoʻohana ʻo Kealoha i kona kūlana loio hoʻokolokolo e hoʻolalau i ke keʻena kaulike ma hope o ko HPD pākaha ʻana i ka hale o kekahi kālepa lāʻau ʻino ma 2015, a ua hopu ʻia nā lāʻau i hāʻawi ʻia e kona kaikunāne. Ua mālama hoʻi ʻo ia i kekahi pilina kūpono ʻole me ke kālepa i hoʻāhewa ʻia ʻo Tiffany Masunaga e hoʻomū ai iā ia no ke kiaʻi ʻana iā Puana.
Papa huaʻōlelo hou
Kokeina – cocaine
Lāʻau kuhikuhi – prescription
Kikowaena lāʻau hoʻēmi ʻeha – pain clinic
Luna mākaʻi – police chief
ʻAha hoʻokolokolo – court
Hoʻāhewa – to accuse, charge
Lina lāʻau kuhikuhi kūʻē kānāwai – illegal prescription drug ring
Nonoi – to plead
Pākaha – to raid
ʻApakeʻe – corruption
Punihei – addiction
Hana kalaima – crime
Hōʻoiaʻiʻo pālua – double-certified
Huaale – pill
Kālepa – to trade, to peddle
Kālepa lāʻau ʻino – drug dealer
Lāʻau e mālama ʻia e ke aupuni – controlled substance
Hōʻike – evidence, testimony
Hoʻohiki ʻia – sworn
Hōʻike paʻa – witness
Kūʻē kānāwai – illegal
ʻAi – to ingest, consume
Kaulike – justice
Waikulu – alcohol
ʻŌlelo hoʻopaʻi – sentence
Kikowaena hoʻoponopono ola – rehab center
Kāhina – to take advantage of, to deceive
I ko McKinney subpoena ʻia ʻana e hōʻike ʻōlelo ma mua o ke kiule nui pekelala ma 2018 e pili ana i ka pilina me Masunaga, wahi a ka ʻōlelo, ua kāhea ʻo ia iā Puana me ka ʻōlelo ʻana aku pēnei, “e hoʻomanaʻo ʻoe, he hoʻokūkū kēia no kā kāua ʻōlelo a me kāna.”
Ma o nā mea a pau, ua kākau ʻo McDonald, ua punihei ʻo Puana i ke kōkeina, nā lāʻau hoʻēmi ʻeha, a me ka waikulu.
“Ua māhuahua ʻino aʻe ko Puana hoʻohana ʻana i nā lāʻau e mālama ʻia e ke aupuni a hiki i ka manawa e ʻaʻa ʻia ai kona mau hoa ʻai lāʻau e paʻi kiʻi iā lākou iho e ʻai kōkeina ana ma kahi kūpono ʻole,” i kākau aku ai ʻo McDonald. “Ua ʻlanakila’ ko Puana kaikuahine ʻo Katherine Kealoha ma o ka hoʻouna ʻana aku i kekahi kiʻi me kekahi laina kōkeina ma luna o ke pākaukau hana o ka luna mākaʻi no Honolulu ʻo Louis Kealoha.”
Ke hoʻokō nei nā Kealoha i mau ʻōlelo hoʻopaʻi pekelala no kā lāua hana ma nā moʻo kalaima i huʻe ʻia ma hope o ko lāua hoʻopili ʻia ʻana i ka hewa ma ko lāua hoʻāhewa wahaheʻe ʻana i kekahi lālā ʻohana no ka ʻaihue ʻana i ko lāua pahu leka.
Ua pili kā nā loio hoʻokolokolo mau palapala i ka hōʻike a ka Justice Department e makemake ai e hoʻohana aku no hōʻoia ʻana i ka hihia kalaima no Kalaima. ʻŌlelo nā loio hoʻokolokolo, makemake lākou i manawa no ka hoʻohana ʻia ʻana o kā Puana mau ʻōlelo ma loko o ʻelua mau hālāwai me lākou ma ʻOkakopa ma ka makahiki 2018, a ma laila lākou i hāʻawi aku ai iā ia i kekahi manawa no kona laulima pū ʻana me lākou.
Ma loko o kēlā mau hālāwai i holo aku ma hope pono o ko Puana hoʻi ʻana mai kekahi kikowaena hoʻoponopono ola ʻo Betty Ford ma Minekoka, ua hōʻoia ʻo Puana, he “kanaka ʻai nui ʻo ia i ke kōkeina,” a ma ke ʻano he kauka ʻo ia, ua “kāhina nō ʻo ia ma kona kūlana.” Ua haʻi pū akula hoʻi ʻo ia i nā loio hoʻokolokolo, e lapaʻau ana ʻo ia i kekahi mau kānaka “me ka hoʻopalapala ʻole ʻana,” a ua kuhi ʻo ia i kēlā mau ukuna ma loko o kekahi puke noka āna i hūnā aku ai ma kekahi waihona lole i laka ʻia ma kona kikowaena lāʻau hoʻēmi ʻeha.
Ke noi aku nei ka hui loio hoʻokolokolo i kekahi luna kānāwai no ka hiki ʻana ke hoʻohana i ua puka noka nei ma ke ʻano he hōʻike, me ka wehewehe ʻana aku he “waihona malū” ia e kuhi ʻia ai kāna hana kūʻē kānāwai. Makemake pū hoʻi ka Department of Justice e kaukaʻi i ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā hōʻike paʻa, e laʻa nā kauka i hiki ke ʻōlelo e pili ana i ko Puana punihei lāʻau ʻana a me kāna hana hewa ʻana ma ke ʻano he kauka.
ʻO kā Puana wahine mua a me kāna kōkoʻolua ʻoihana ʻo Lynn Welch, e mahuʻi ʻia kona hea ʻia ʻana ma ke ʻano he hōʻike paʻa ma ka hihia kalaima, wahi a nā palapala.
E heluhelu mai i ka hoʻopihapiha hou ʻia ʻana o nā palapala ʻaha kolokolo ma ʻaneʻi:
Ua kākoʻo ʻia kēia papahana e ka ʻOhana o Harry Nathaniel, Levani Lipton, ka ʻOhana Mar, a me Lisa Kleissner.
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Nick Grube is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @nickgrube. You can also reach him by phone at 808-377-0246.