LIHUE — A Kauai man was arraigned Wednesday on a long list of drug and firearm possession charges, one of which alleges he attempted to sell methamphetamine near an elementary school.
Kevin Boggs appeared in Kauai’s Fifth Circuit Court yesterday afternoon, facing 32 separate counts, the majority of which are felony charges.
The most serious allegation — the only class A felony charge — states that Boggs was either selling or attempting to sell methamphetamine near Koloa Elementary School. Charging documents state that Boggs “did knowingly distribute or possess with intent to distribute” the drug within 750 feet of the school.
Boggs faces 21 class B felony charges, eight related to carrying a gun — he is prohibited from owning a firearm due to prior convictions — and 13 for the ammunition.
On top of that, Boggs is charged with four class C felonies for methamphetamine possession, a misdemeanor charge for improper ammunition storage, and five more petty misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession.
Few details about Boggs’ or his arrest are available. Court documents provide almost no specifics, and police declined to comment on events preceding Boggs arrest.
If convicted on all counts, Boggs could potentially face some very severe penalties. The single class A felony charge alone could result in a maximum 20-year prison sentence. A class B felony in Hawaii is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and class C felonies carry a maximum sentence of 5 years. Boggs is charged with 21 of the former and four of the latter.
Wednesday, Fifth Circuit Judge Jonathan Chun reduced Boggs’ bail from $500,000 to $100,000 at the request of Boggs’ defense attorney and despite the prosecutor’s strenuous protests.
Boggs stood in an orange jumpsuit Wednesday afternoon, speaking only to answer a couple questions from the bench. He told Chun that he has lived on the island his entire life and for the last six years has run his own landscaping business. On his way out of the courtroom, Boggs turned to a woman sitting in the front row and said quietly, “I love you, my wife.”
He is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday morning for a preliminary hearing.
When he skips bail, you know who needs to be blamed.