Officer involved in marijuana growing since July, indictment says

Honolulu police officer Michael Steven Chu and his co-defendant have been involved in the illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture and distribution of marijuana since at least July last year, according to an indictment a federal grand jury returned Thursday.

The co-defendant is Athena Sui Lee.

The indictment charges Chu and Lee with possession of the 48 marijuana plants the Drug Enforcement Administration said its agents seized April 6 and 7, including 31 plants at Lee’s Kapiolani Boulevard apartment and 13 plants at Chu’s Mililani Mauka residence.

It also charges Chu and Lee with possessing the one pound of marijuana the DEA said its agents seized from Chu’s vehicle April 6 and 34 pounds recovered Tuesday. And the indictment charges Chu with attempting to possess 14 pounds of marijuana the DEA said was addressed to his Young Street apartment last July but that it’s agents intercepted. 

Lee and Chu have been free on $25,000 unsecured, signature bond since Wednesday afternoon.