Prison guard indicted on conspiracy, drug, bribery charges

A federal grand jury has indicted a 31-year-old Halawa prison guard on charges of conspiracy to smuggle methamphetamine into the prison, bribery and  drug-related counts.

James “Kimo” Sanders III, a Kailua resident, was indicted on one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine from October 2013 and Jan. 12.

Sanders was also indicted on two counts of distributing meth on Nov. 15 (five grams or more) and Nov. 22 (50 grams or more), and on one count of possession with intent to distribute meth on Jan. 12.

The grand jury also indicted Sanders, as an agent of the Department of Public Safety, on one count of corruptly soliciting, demanding, accepting and agreeing to accept anything of value, intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with any business, transaction and series of transactions of the department involving anything valued at or more than $5,000.

He pleaded not guilty Jan. 13 to the charges, and was released to his grandmother on a $50,000 bond and ordered to wear a GPS device.