Five Kaua‘i residents remain in custody in a federal detention center in Honolulu after being arrested in connection with the most marijuana ever confiscated on Hawai‘i state land. Though it remains unclear how many pounds the estimated 6,000 seized marijuana
Five Kaua‘i residents remain in custody in a federal detention center in Honolulu after being arrested in connection with the most marijuana ever confiscated on Hawai‘i state land.
Though it remains unclear how many pounds the estimated 6,000 seized marijuana plants yielded, U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said the street value of such a large amount of pot is close to $6 million.
Edward H. Holland, Mark Steven Darling, Robert J. Bihm, Melissa A. Bihm and Ryan E. Bihm are expected to appear in Honolulu federal court today and tomorrow for bail hearings. The five Kaua‘i residents were arrested Friday on felony charges of cultivating 1,000 or more marijuana plants, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Investigation into an alleged massive growing operation began Nov. 4, 2006, when Kaua‘i Police Department’s drug enforcement vice squad, made up of seven officers, spotted marijuana cultivation at the end of Kuamo‘o Road and at the foot of Mount Wai‘ale‘ale.
Law enforcement continued the surveillance through Aug. 13, according to the affidavit filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as the typical outdoor marijuana growing season includes planting in March and April, with bud harvesting in September and October.
Officers then stepped up surveillance in July to be in-sync with that growing schedule, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Kawahara said.
Videotape captured on July 30 and Aug. 13 by Drug Enforcement Agency and KPD officials allegedly show Holland, Darling and all three Bihms harvesting marijuana on state land.
Kawahara said the video shows the suspects examining the plants, shoveling and adding more dirt to the growbags, and disbursing fertilizer on July 30. It also shows a “smoke break” captured on Aug. 13.
Officials cited the 6,000 marijuana-plant bounty as one of the largest in recent U.S. history. The second-largest raid in the state this year yielded roughly $750,000 of marijuana in February, according to the DEA.
The quantity of the marijuana seized in this case is at the top of the charts when compared to other pot raids nationwide, including the half-ton seized by customs agents in an October 2001 operation in Seattle. Wash.
In that case, the 980 pounds confiscated were estimated to have a street value worth $3 million to $8 million, according to law enforcement.
Assistant Chief Roy Asher, who oversees the Kaua‘i Police Department’s drug enforcement vice squad, said the officers who worked for the past 10 months on the Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale case sacrificed time with their families to complete their work.
Kawahara said the case “couldn’t have been done” without the KPD.
Firearms and cash, which could have augmented the sentence length that any of the suspects face — weren’t recovered in this case.
However, officials did seize six trucks used in moving the marijuana, Kawahara said.
Holland does face a “sentence enhancer,” as he has a prior felony conviction from 1991. Kawahara said Holland is considered the lead defendant and could face a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison.
“The other four defendants are looking at a statutory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison because the alleged amount of marijuana was 1,000 or more marijuana plants,” Kawahara said.
Darling is expected to appear for a bail hearing at 11 a.m. today, and Holland as well as the three Bihms are scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. Friday, all in Honolulu federal court.
• Amanda C. Gregg, assistant editor/staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
