HPD officer faces federal charges in pot case

A Honolulu police officer is in federal custody, charged with running indoor marijuana-growing operations in a Kapiolani Boulevard apartment and a home in Mililani Mauka.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested Michael Steven Chu on Monday and charged him with conspiring to possess and distribute 48 marijuana plants and one pound of proc­essed marijuana.

Chu is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court this afternoon on the government’s request to keep him in custody pending trial without the opportunity for bail.

DEA agents arrested and charged Athena Sui Lee with the same crime. The prosecutor also wants her to remain in custody without the opportunity for bail.

The DEA said the case against Chu and Lee started Thursday when a FedEx security manager seized a suspicious parcel that was sent from San Lean­dro, Calif., and addressed to a Kapiolani Boulevard apartment. The parcel contained eight juvenile or starter marijuana plants.

The following day, the DEA said its agents spoke with the building manager, who told them Lee lives in the unit to which the parcel was addressed.

The DEA said it found 20 marijuana plants growing inside the apartment and large amounts of cash. As its agents were conducting the search, Chu and Lee arrived at the apartment. Chu was carrying a bag containing plant nutrients and other material used for growing plants indoors, and Lee was carrying a bag containing about $12,000 in $2,000 bundles, the DEA said.

Agents found in Chu’s vehicle a pound of marijuana and Chu’s police-issued handgun and a supplemental weapon, both loaded.

The DEA said Chu told the agents he just works for Lee and helps her carry things for the indoor growing operation. He gave them a Young Street address as his residence, the same address at which DEA agents intercepted a parcel containing 14 pounds of marijuana in July.

The manager for the Young Street building told the agents Chu did live in the unit where they intercepted the 14 pounds of marijuana, but had moved out a few months ago.

Chu also told the agents he has a medical marijuana card.

The DEA said its agents checked the medical marijuana certification rec­ords maintained by the state Narcotics Enforcement Division and found that Chu listed a Mililani Mauka address as his residence. They went to the home and found 10 to 20 marijuana plants of about 3 to 4 feet tall growing inside. They also found a pickup truck registered to Lee parked in the driveway and documents in the home indicating that Chu and Lee reside there.

The Police Department said Chu is a 13-year police veteran assigned to the Wahiawa/North Shore patrol district.

Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kea­loha said the charge against Chu is a very serious allegation and that the department is cooperating with the DEA. He said HPD is also conducting its own internal administrative investigation. In the meantime, the department has removed Chu’s police powers and placed him on leave without pay.

Kealoha also said using marijuana is a violation of HPD policy. He said a medical marijuana permit does not exempt an officer from drug testing and that an officer who tests positive is in violation of the policy.