Kauai councilman pleads not guilty to drug charge

LIHUE >> Kauai County Councilman Arthur Brun, the accused ringleader of a drug trafficking organization, and 10 of 11 other defendants pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon in federal court in Honolulu.

Brun and the 11 defendants are accused of conspiring to “pump methamphetamine into the community,” U.S. Attorney Kenji Price said Friday morning at a news conference at Kauai Police Department headquarters.

Brun was indicted for meth trafficking and nine other charges that include obstruction of justice through evidence tampering and witness tampering, conspiracy to possess a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and assault of a federal law enforcement officer during a traffic stop in October.

The 48-year-old Brun, wearing a white jumpsuit, was shackled, chained and seated in a wheelchair before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader for the Friday arraignment and plea hearing. His attorney said his client was using a wheelchair due to injuries to his right arm and right knee sustained in a February car accident.

Brun remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center.

The defendant who did not enter a plea Friday — Orlando Manguchei, Brun’s alleged gunman — had his arraignment and plea rescheduled to 1:30 p.m. Monday before Magistrate Judge Wes Porter.

Defendants Sheena Millare, Efren Yanos and Kirsten Ayau were released Friday, each on a $25,000 unsecured bond. A detention hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday before Porter for the eight other defendants who were arraigned.

At the morning news conference on Kauai, Price was flanked by members of the Kauai Police Department; Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force; and U.S. Coast Guard.

He detailed the charges in the federal indictment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on Kauai from June 2019 to January.

“Today’s charges sends a very clear message to those who hold a position of trust in Hawaii, and that message is you are not above the law. Neither position nor privilege will shield you from the accountability that justice requires,” Price said.

Brun is serving his second term with the Kauai County Council and serves as vice chairman of the Public Safety and Human Services Committee.

Drug trafficking conspiracy charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to a maximum of life in prison, officials said.

Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck said, “We’re committed to work together to identify and apprehend those that poison our community with illicit drugs and exploit the addictions of others for financial gain.”

The accused co-conspirators named in the indictment are Maluelue Umu, a “shot caller,” or leader, of the United Samoan Organization (USO), described as a gang that operates both inside and outside of the prison system; Kelvin Kauwila Kai; Steven Keliikuli; Kaniu Huihui; Robby Silva; Haidee Sueyasu; Phrystal Bacio; Millare; Yanos; Ayau; and Manguchei.

Kauai police and federal agents arrested Brun and 10 other defendants Thursday. Manguchei was already in federal custody serving a sentence for violating terms of his supervised release.

Price said Umu supplied quantities of methamphetamine to Brun for the drug trafficking ring and that Manguchei protected Brun and the drug trafficking organization.

The sitting councilman also allegedly attempted to obtain an unregistered firearm and “thousands of rounds” of ammunition for Manguchei, a convicted felon.

“Manguchei’s role in Brun’s drug trafficking organization was to — among other things — to protect Brun and the organization by physically confronting or threatening those at odds with Arthur Brun,” Price said.

Price detailed at least three occasions where Brun supplied his drug dealers with methamphetamine.

He also revealed in the indictment’s supporting documents that Brun and Umu were under surveillance by Kauai police prior to officers conducting a traffic stop on Brun on Oct. 29.

Price said police saw Brun meeting with Umu to receive a pound of methamphetamine, and afterward law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Brun and police dogs alerted officers to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.

When police asked Brun to exit the vehicle, he allegedly sped off, causing injuries to the police officer who had his hand and part of his shoulder in the vehicle when he tried to remove Brun’s keys from the ignition.

A high-speed chase ensued when Brun allegedly threw a bag out of the car. Items that appeared to have fallen out of the bag included a pound of methamphetamine, numerous unused Ziploc-type bags, a digital scale and a measuring spoon.

Price said Brun called one of his co-conspirators to ask him to recover the methamphetamine he tossed out of the car during the police chase. Unbeknownst to Brun, Kauai police had already recovered it.

“All of this is but a snapshot of the conduct perpetrated by Brun and the other 11 defendants charged in this indictment,” Price said.

He thanked all involved in the multiagency investigation. “This case illustrates what’s possible when local and federal law enforcement work hand in hand to bring significant offenders to justice,” he said. “This kind of partnership is absolutely what keeps our community safe,” Price added.

Authorities are continuing their investigation.

According to the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, Brun has a criminal record of one felony conviction for theft, two misdemeanor convictions for abuse of a family or household member and one misdemeanor conviction for terroristic threatening.