Maui Burglary Case Part of Illegal Firearm Seizures Increase

The seizure of illegal firearms is off to a big head start this year as local and federal law enforcement have already confiscated more firearms in 2019 than they did for all of 2018, with one of the more recent cases coming from Maui.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, last fiscal year the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seized 38 unlawful firearms, while this fiscal year there have already been 130 unlawful firearms seized. (Note: the federal fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30th.)

Part of those seizures stemmed from a Wailuku burglary earlier this year according to federal prosecutors.

On March 7, Barret Paman allegedly broke into a Waiehu Beach Road home, stole firearms, firearms parts, ammunition, jewelry and cigarettes, some of which were stored in a gun safe that was hauled off as well according to federal charging documents. Paman then allegedly traded the firearms he obtained for various amounts of crystal meth and/or cash the documents said.

An initial investigation by the Maui Police Department resulted in Paman’s arrest, which lead to a federal grand jury indictment last week for Paman and three others, Keoni Kuhaulua, Ikaika Reinhardt and Jonathan Corn.

Referring to the Maui case and the seizures in general U.S. Attorney Kenji Price said “Effective collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement enhances the law enforcement community’s ability to protect the public, and is a warning to those who put the public at risk: we will find you and prosecute you.”

“This most recent case on Maui highlighted by U.S. Attorney Price is a great example of State and Federal law enforcement collaboration at it’s best,” said Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu. “Not only did we take 17 firearms off the streets and out of the hands of those who would endanger our community, we took into custody several repeat offenders who are poisoning our residents with illegal drugs and are responsible for or suspected in several recent property crime waves.”

Chief Faaumu said all four defendants had been active criminally on Maui for almost a decade, and have been identified as being responsible for committing 81 offenses, resulting in 185 charges. The charges include drug and weapons offenses, a variety of property crimes, and aggravated assault, with 115 of those charges occurring in the last twelve months.

“With the ATF’s assistance, we were able to prosecute the case federally with the accused facing more severe sentencing guidelines,” the Chief said.

Last year Kuhaulua was charged with driving stolen vehicles on two separate occasions after a brief stand-off with MPD in Wailuku. He was federally charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Reinhardt was federally charged with receiving two rifles while under indictment as well as in furtherance of a crime involving the trafficking of crystal meth.

Corn was charged federally with possessing a rifle as a convicted felon and in furtherance of a crime involving the trafficking of crystal meth.

Paman is charged federally with unlawfully possessing eight stolen firearms – including three rifles, a 12 gauge shotgun and four pistols.