Seizures of illegal firearms soar in Hawaii, feds say

U.S. law enforcement authorities Tuesday voiced concern about the dramatic increase in illegal firearms seized in Hawaii and the growing use of devices that can convert ordinary handguns into machine gun-like weapons.

With about three months left in the current fiscal year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has seized over 130 illegal firearms in the islands, compared with 38 for all of fiscal year 2018, according to Kenji Price, U.S. attorney in Hawaii.

The statistics do not include weapons seized by local police.

Hawaii investigators also are seeing a “definite uptick” in the illegal use of so-called Glock converters, devices not much larger in width than a dime that can turn a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic one, capable of shooting about 1,000 rounds per minute, according to Aaron Joseph, resident in charge of the AFT in Hawaii.

Joseph and Price likened the converted weapon to a machine gun.

Price said investigations are revealing that criminals are bringing converters — a national concern in the law enforcement community — to Hawaii, but he declined to say how they are doing that.

In the hands of criminals, the devices are “highly dangerous” and present a significant problem in any investigation, according to Price. Those convicted of possessing and using such devices are subject to up to 10 years in federal prison.

Price, Joseph and other officials held a news conference Tuesday at the U.S. attorney’s office to highlight the cooperation of local and federal authorities to combat violent crime in the islands, particularly through a national program called Project Safe Neighborhoods.

“This continued collaboration is a warning to those who would put the public at risk,” Price said. “We will find you and we will prosecute you.”

Underscoring that collaboration, Price noted a case investigated by Maui police and AFT agents that resulted in the federal indictment last month of four men, including two convicted felons.

On June 13 Barret Paman, Keoni Kuhaulua, Ikaika Reinhardt and Jonathan Corn were indicted on weapons- related charges in U.S. District Court, and authorities seized 17 firearms as part of the investigation.

The Maui case, which allegedly started with the March theft of firearms and a gun safe from a Wailuku home, also underscored “a troubling connection between two causes of significant damage to our communities: illegal firearms and crystal meth,” Price said.

The long-standing “ice” problem not only has devastating effects on those using the illicit drug, but usually is connected to other dangerous activity, he said.

“Whenever you combine these two negative forces, crystal meth and firearms, the recipe is going to be a disaster,” Price said.

In the Maui case, Paman allegedly gave three of the stolen firearms to two suspects in exchange for crystal meth, according to Price.

The indictment charges Paman with unlawfully possessing eight stolen firearms, including three rifles and a shotgun.

Reinhardt was charged with receiving two rifles while under indictment and possessing the rifles in furtherance of a crime involving the trafficking of crystal meth. At the time of his indictment, Reinhardt already was facing several drug-related charges.

Kuhaulua was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. His convictions include robbery and escape.

Corn was charged with possessing a rifle as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime involving the trafficking of crystal meth. Corn previously had been convicted of a firearm-related offense.

Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu, who attended Tuesday’s news conference, said the case took off the streets repeat offenders “who are poisoning our residents with illegal drugs” and are believed responsible for several recent property crimes.

Over the past nine years, the four suspects have been linked to 81 offenses involving 185 drug, weapon and other charges, including 115 from just the past 12 months, Faaumu added.

Price referred to another recent case in which federal charges were brought against 13 drug dealers in Chinatown, 10 of whom pleaded guilty and another who was convicted after a jury trial.

The one who went to trial subsequently was sentenced to nine years in prison, according to Price, who said Honolulu police teamed with ATF agents to pursue the Chinatown case.

“These partnerships will be good for the community and bad for criminals,” Joseph said.