More Maui Police Corruption
May 27, 2011 | 10:36 AM

Yesuah Boerstler, Maui Police and Corruption - (re: police officer Jeff Tanouye) http://www.hawaiian-tv.com/showthread.php?t=467
THE STORY BELOW WRITTEN BY A YOUNG REPORTER
BEFORE THEY SCARED HER OFF MAUI http://hawaiian-tv.com/showthread.php?t=177 From hawaiian TV .com - "Elijah A. Pacheco, Devin W. Fulcher and Stephen Iwankiw
were three of the locals who murdered Yesuah Boerstler:" :http://hawaiian-tv.com/showthread.php?t=177 Maui Police Covering up Laura Vogel's disappearance http://www.hawaiian-tv.com/showthread.php?t=1351 Bad Locals and Police Corruption http://hawaiian-tv.com/showthread.php?t=198 Here is a recent case of corruption on Maui where an 18 year veteran of the MPD has been Arrested on charges relating to his use and disposal of a Methamphetamine Pipe, REmember, THIS IS A 18 YEAR EMPLOYEE, IT TOOK 18 YEARS TO GET THIS CREEP OFF THE BACKS OF MAUI CITIZENS!! "Maui Police Officer facing charges seeking to keep statements out of trial" - http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/549746/Officer-facing-charges-seeking-to-keep-statements-out-of-trial.html?nav=10 Here is the Maui News story: Officer facing charges seeking to keep statements out of trial
May 24, 2011
By LILA FUJIMOTO - Staff Writer (lfujimoto@mauinews.com) , The Maui News
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WAILUKU - A Maui police officer facing felony drug charges is asking to keep statements he made to police detectives from being used at a trial, with his attorney saying the officer didn't waive his constitutional rights before speaking with detectives.

Ryan Masada, an 18-year police veteran, has pleaded not guilty to charges of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and possessing drug paraphernalia.

The 40-year-old Makawao resident was charged with the offenses after police recovered a glass pipe containing crystal methamphetamine residue that Masada allegedly discarded Feb. 10, 2010, in the junior men's locker room at the Wailuku Police Station.

During a hearing Monday in 2nd Circuit Court, Detective William Gannon testified that Masada was among officers summoned to the Wailuku patrol office that day in a theft investigation. A resident of a home on Aliikoa Place in Haiku that was burglarized a week earlier on Feb. 3, 2010, reported that $1,960 was taken from his bedroom after police officers arrived to investigate the burglary.

Police searched the officers' patrol cars and had warrants to search their lockers, Gannon said.

He said that after he told Masada he wanted to talk to him about the theft and would have to inform him of his Miranda warnings, Masada responded that he had nothing to say. Because of Masada's response, Gannon said, he didn't review the Miranda warnings with Masada and didn't question him further about the theft.

Later that morning, after Detective Wendell Loo saw Masada remove a dark-colored object from his backpack and discard it in the locker room, Gannon said he told Masada he was conducting a drug investigation into the discarded drug pipe.

Gannon said Masada initialed a Maui Police Department form to indicate he understood his constitutional rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to have an attorney present before he talked to Gannon about the drug pipe.

According to court records, when Gannon told Masada he had been seen throwing away the pipe, Masada responded: "Yeah, that's why I was nervous, and I wasn't sure what to do with that pipe in my bag, as far as searching my bag."

Masada reportedly told Gannon he didn't know where he got the pipe or how long he had it. He also said it wasn't his pipe and he doesn't smoke the drug, according to Gannon's police report.

Asked why he threw the pipe away, he said he didn't want detectives to find it, according to court records.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Michael Green, Gannon said he didn't ask Masada to acknowledge and initial a portion of the form saying he waived his rights and agreed to voluntarily make a statement.

"You didn't think it was necessary?" Green asked.

"No," Gannon replied.

Deputy Prosecutor Tracy Jones asked Gannon why he didn't have Masada sign the waiver portion.

"First and foremost, Ryan Masada's a police officer, for 17 years at that date and time," Gannon said. "He's very familiar with Miranda warnings."

Gannon said he didn't have any doubt that Masada understood what was going on.

Asked by Green if he treated Masada differently because he is a police officer and if the same would apply to a criminal defense attorney, Gannon said yes.

In asking 2nd Circuit Judge Shackley Raffetto to suppress Masada's statements, Green said he had never heard a law enforcement officer suggest that a defendant's acknowledgment of Miranda rights was the same as waiving those rights.

"I have never heard that a lawyer or a police officer should be treated differently than any other person under investigation," Green said.

In a memorandum opposing the defense motion, Jones said it was the state's position that Masada understood and waived his rights before talking about the drug investigation, considering the "totality of circumstances." She noted that Masada had earlier exercised his right to remain silent about the theft investigation.

Masada, who had been working as a Wailuku patrol officer, has been assigned to other administrative duties while his case is pending.

Raffetto said he expects to issue a ruling at least two weeks before a further hearing on Aug. 15. Time to demand JUSTICE MAUI, how long will we allow this corruption and violence to continue from what dateline NBC calls "The Most Corrupt Police Dept. in the USA"?????

Maui Truth