Keaau man who allegedly shipped fentanyl pills to Hawaii released on bail
COURTESY DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION
An M-30 pill similar to those confiscated by federal agents in September.
A Keaau man arrested on suspicion of shipping methamphetamine and blue-colored fentanyl pills into Hawaii from Fresno, California, was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond this afternoon ahead of his preliminary hearing in January.
Timothy Fondren was charged by federal criminal complaint Sept. 22 with attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Fondren, who was arrested Sept. 23, was granted bail by U.S. Magistrate Judge Judge Rom A. Trader against the recommendation of federal prosecutors who wanted Fondren held without bail.
On Tuesday, federal prosecutors and Fondren’s attorney, deputy federal public defender Maximilian J. Mizono, agreed to continue his preliminary hearing and extend the time within which an indictment or information may be filed and to exclude the time under the speedy trial act.
On Sept. 15, 2022, as part of an ongoing investigation into methamphetamine and fentanyl shipments to Hawaii, Brian W. Shaughnessy, a U.S. Postal Inspector, obtained a federal search warrant for a package addressed to “Anne Schim, P.O. Box 322, Keaau, HI 96749,” according to federal court documents.
Four days later case agents executed the search warrant and found 455 grams of methamphetamines and about 50 grams of blue tablets, all bearing an “M-30” marking, that tested positive for fentanyl.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Investigators confiscated the pills and subbed the methamphetamine out for fake drugs that looked like methamphetamine. They re-packaged it with a device that would alert them when it was opened delivered it to the P.O. box.
On Sept. 22, case agents witnessed Fondren pick up the package and drive to 15-1081 Arna U Road in Keaau.
Agents and Hawaii County police officers executed a search warrant at the home and saw Fondren open an exterior door to the residence and then, after being told not to move by law enforcement, quickly close it and retreat into the house.
Police and agents had to “breach the exterior door” to the residence and inside they found the pseudo-methamphetamine in a bedroom that also contained Fondren’s state ID and mail addressed to him.
