Crime Correspondent: Honolulu

Anna Budinger pleaded guilty to drug charges

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VnXD9a_Qc9uuPEWyqatACjz8A-ypX-AQ6k5rv1ckfzIhzZijzJB95lngRSKl2yw05-GraDi5ORWjg3T4W_SZcRx8V-ngMf9VjD5leb1EOHwaH_pyMzYxurMIJ92FC0cDqn_8tCkmSFc/s1600-h/16219148_240X180.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198876574743172450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VnXD9a_Qc9uuPEWyqatACjz8A-ypX-AQ6k5rv1ckfzIhzZijzJB95lngRSKl2yw05-GraDi5ORWjg3T4W_SZcRx8V-ngMf9VjD5leb1EOHwaH_pyMzYxurMIJ92FC0cDqn_8tCkmSFc/s320/16219148_240X180.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a><br />Anna Budinger was a custodian at Kaimuki High School when she arrested more than two years ago with more than 1/8th of an ounce of crystal methamphetamine, or ice. <br />She pleaded guilty to drug charges.In court on Friday, she again admitted that guilt.<br />"I made a mistake. I crossed a boundary. I know I need to go into treatment," she told the judge.Prosecutors wanted Budinger sentenced to 10 years behind bars because she was a school staff member when she was arrested.Her defense attorney asked for probation, because Budinger had no prior convictions and did not sell drugs to students."The issue was how far away in her car she was located, but it doesn't involve schoolchildren at all," attorney Johnaaron Jones said.However, Budinger admitted to Circuit Court Judge Michael Town that she was still using ice and that the drug would show up if she were tested.Town criticized Budinger for failing to enter a drug treatment program while awaiting sentencing.He sentenced her to one year in prison, but suspended all but 180 days of the prison term. Budinger must also serve five years probation drug free or face additional jail time.

Anna Budinger pleaded guilty to drug charges

Anna Budinger was a custodian at Kaimuki High School when she arrested more than two years ago with more than 1/8th of an ounce of crystal m...

Crisanto Ragasa,Perry Johnson arrested along with 91 alleged offenders

A four-day dragnet involving 10 federal, state and local agencies operating on the Big Island led to the arrest of 91 alleged drug and violent-crime offenders on 130 warrants last week, the U.S. Marshals Service announced yesterday.Called Operation Pono, the effort focused on fugitives with warrants or criminal histories related to narcotics, sexual assault or other crimes of violence, the Marshals Service said.<br />"In our opinion the capture of career criminals will result in reduction of crime and safer communities," said U.S. Marshal Mark Hanohano.Hawaii County police Maj. Marshall Kanehailua said many of the people arrested were probably hiding out, lying low. But some were also actively engaged in new crimes, and capturing them will reduce crime, he said."We definitely see a downturn in crime in specific areas," he said.The operation resulted in 13 new criminal cases, the Marshals Service said."Fugitives like Crisanto Ragasa, who was wanted for drug trafficking and firearms possession, or Perry Johnson, who was wanted for kidnapping and terroristic threatening, are now both behind bars," a statement said.Some of the suspects posted bail as soon as they were arrested, Kanehailua said. But if they fail to appear in court, they will have bail bondsmen looking for them, too.Many are lifelong residents of the Big Island. "Where are you going to go? They might be on the run locally, but eventually they get caught," he said.Police often know where the offenders are."We just don't have time to go out and get them," Kanehailua said.The 91 arrests represent not quite half of the 200 offenders sought, he said. Officials started to put the operation together about a month in advance. "That's a lot of numbers for a short period," he said.About 50 officers took part in the operation, compared with another Operation Pono in 2004, when 35 officers arrested 98 offenders in seven days.Such operations are relatively simple because the existence of bench warrants means a judge has already heard evidence against the suspects, Kanehailua said.In contrast, Operation Island Pipeline in 2001, which shut down an international heroin ring and resulted in 58 arrests, required 13 months of gathering evidence before arrests could be made.

Crisanto Ragasa,Perry Johnson arrested along with 91 alleged offenders

A four-day dragnet involving 10 federal, state and local agencies operating on the Big Island led to the arrest of 91 alleged drug and viole...

Kameron Lawhead

Kameron Lawhead, 33, of Kilauea, to two consecutive five-year terms for the crimes. Lawhead argued with the judge and offered a “thank you”...

Kameron Lawhead

Kameron Lawhead, 33, of Kilauea, to two consecutive five-year terms for the crimes. Lawhead argued with the judge and offered a “thank you”...