Judge: Enough evidence recovered to support drug, firearm charges

Weapon components, heroin and other drugs allegedly found in Kihei home

WAILUKU — A judge ruled Wednesday that there was enough evidence to support most felony drug charges against a man and two women who were arrested when police searched a Kihei residence last month.

Kaelan Starmer, 29, was located sitting in a chair in a wooden shed in the back of the property on East Waipuilani Road when officers executed warrants to search him and the residence the morning of April 21, said Crime Reduction Unit officer Daron Sugiyama.

Testifying Tuesday as a preliminary hearing began in Wailuku District Court, he said co-defendants Alison Hethcote, 59, and Kailani Rush, 26, were in a bedroom that was locked and forcibly opened by officers that day.

Hethcote was looking at a screen of monitors for security cameras on the property and Rush was sitting on the floor facing the bedroom door, Sugiyama said.

He said the suspected drugs recovered included over 50 grams of heroin, over 1 gram of methamphetamine, about 2.7 grams of fentanyl, more than 80 methadone pills and morphine.

Police also recovered $711 in cash, including $591 from the bedroom that was Hethcote’s and $130 from the shed, Sugiyama said.

Over 40 grams of the heroin was found in the shed, Sugiyama said. He said a lockbox in the shed contained 1.88 grams of fentanyl, $130 in cash, a small digital gram scale with suspected heroin residue and multiple small empty packets, as well as state identification, debit and electronic benefits cards for Starmer and Rush.

Also in the shed was a self-manufacturing kit for the lower portion of a pistol with U.S. Postal Service packaging addressed to Starmer at the East Waipuilani Road residence, Sugiyama said.

He said a completed lower receiver for an AR-style rifle included the hammer, trigger and all of the mechanisms need for the weapon to fire and function once the upper portion of the rifle was added. There were no serial numbers on the lower receiver firearm components, Sugiyama said.

He said police also recovered a starter kit for a homemade suppressor, a 3D printer and 3D printing filament from the shed.

The house owned by Hethcote was separated into three living units, with police searching a portion consisting of a bedroom, living room and kitchen, Sugiyama said.

From Hethcote’s bedroom, police recovered over 12 grams of heroin, $591, methadone and a small packet of fentanyl with Hethcote’s cellphone, Sugiyama said.

On a living room table, police found a digital gram scale with suspected heroin residue and the names of Starmer and Rush, multiple small packets and a switchblade knife with suspected drug residue, Sugiyama testified.

Deputy Prosecutor Peter Hanano said the evidence linked all three defendants to the drugs that were seized.

“This is basically a onebedroom residence,” he said as the hearing concluded Wednesday. “There were drugs found everywhere, drugs found in the shed.”

Judge Chris Dunn found probable cause for charges of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug for heroin, second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug for methadone and two counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug for methamphetamine and fentanyl against all three defendants.

Dunn didn’t find probable cause for another charge of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug for morphine, saying he didn’t recall any evidence about where the drug was found in the search.

The judge also found probable cause for two counts of manufacturing, purchasing or obtaining firearm parts to assemble a firearm having no serial number against Starmer.

The three defendants also are charged with two counts of fourth-degree promotion of a harmful drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and possessing a switchblade knife.

Bail is set at $100,000 each for Hethcote and Rush and $150,000 for Starmer.

All three, who are being held at the Maui Community Correctional Center, are set to be arraigned May 25 in 2nd Circuit Court.