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Pair charged with drug trafficking after L.A.-to-Kona flight

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HAWAII COUNTY POLICE

James Bruno (left) and Jessica Tsibulski

Hawaii County police charged two people for trafficking drugs following a police stakeout at the Kona Airport.

Undercover officers on Tuesday followed a vehicle driven by Jessica Tsibulski, 21, of Kailua-Kona, after she picked up Kellen Foster, 32, of Kailua-Kona, and James Bruno, 28, of Oceanside, after their plane arrived from Los Angeles, police said.

Officers pulled the vehicle over after an observing a traffic violation and arrested all three after a K-9 unit found narcotics in the vehicle. During the arrest, police found two packets of a powdery substance on Tsibulski that tested positive for heroin.

As Foster and Bruno were taken to Kona Community Hospital to be searched on Wednesday, officers found a brown tar-like substance smeared on the interior of the van in Bruno’s passenger area, which police suspected to be heroin. The follow-up search turned up 50.3 grams of suspected tar heroin and 12.7 grams of suspected methamphetamine from Bruno.

Prosecutors charged Tsibulski with one count each of third-degree promoting dangerous drugs and possessing drug paraphernalia. Her bail was set at $4,000, which she posted early today.

Bruno was charged with one count each of first-degree meth trafficking, first-degree promoting dangerous drugs, tampering with physical evidence, and second-degree criminal tampering, and three counts of possessing drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $332,000. Bruno remained at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance today.

Foster was released pending further investigation.

8 responses to “Pair charged with drug trafficking after L.A.-to-Kona flight”

  1. cojef says:

    The photos says it all. The gaunt look of a drug addict. Both look like they need a fix or something?

  2. mikethenovice says:

    Two young lives that will never be fit for employment again.

  3. HanabataDays says:

    There’s always an excuse for an opportunistic traffic stop, and guys like these always oblige them.

  4. Cellodad says:

    People never learn – Dead Junkies

  5. CEI says:

    Quick! Let’s hurry up and legalize drugs in Hawaii so this pair can be upstanding, job holding, and law abiding members of the community. We certainly don’t want them in prison where they can be separated from civilized folks.

  6. CEI says:

    Good job Kona police! Keep up the good work.

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