Police say drugs found in Wailuku man’s vehicle

He had been stopped for driving without a license

WAILUKU — A Wailuku man was stopped for driving without a license before police seized quantities of drugs in a search of his vehicle last week, a police officer testified Wednesday.

Robert Cramer, 37, was charged with three counts of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, four counts of possessing drug paraphernalia, second-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, driving while his license was suspended or revoked and driving without a license.

At a preliminary hearing in Wailuku District Court, Crime Reduction Unit officer Adam Akau said police stopped Cramer in a pickup truck at 1:25 p.m. Feb. 18 near the park-and-ride at Kuihelani Highway and Puunene Avenue.

When he arrived at the location, Akau said he could smell marijuana coming from the truck, which had a door open.

When he asked Cramer if police could search the truck, “he said he wanted to call his old lady,” Akau said. He said the truck is registered to Cramer and his wife.

A K-9 dog was called to the scene and alerted to the presence of drugs before police seized the vehicle, which was impounded and taken to the Kihei Police Station, Akau said.

He said police applied for a warrant to search the truck.

From the truck, police recovered two bags of heroin weighing 111.39 grams, three bags of crystal methamphetamine weighing 85.47 grams and two bags of cocaine weighing 38.79 grams, Akau said. He said the drugs were in plastic packets that were sandwich-size or smaller.

Four glass jars of marijuana were in the middle console of the truck, Akau said.

Deputy Prosecutor Tracy Jones previously said the marijuana weighed 70.59 grams, and police also seized $3,050 in cash.

Under cross-examination

Wednesday by Deputy Public Defender Zach Raidmae, Akau acknowledged that police stopped Cramer after receiving information that he was in possession of and distributing a large amount of heroin.

Judge Kirstin Hamman found there was probable cause for the felony drug charges against Cramer.

Raidmae asked for Cramer’s bail to be reduced to $100,000, saying Cramer had shown up for hearings in his other court case.

Jones asked for bail to remain at $500,000. She said Cramer is charged with “possession of dealership quantities” of drugs, while he had been released after posting $500,000 bail in another felony drug case.

Judge Hamman kept bail at $500,000.

Cramer is set to be arraigned March 10 in 2nd Circuit Court.

After his arrest, Cramer’s bond was surrendered in his other drug case.