Hawai’i Police Department
Vice Section – Area II
Lieutenant Edwin A. Buyten
Phone: (808) 326-4646 Ext. 226
Report No.: 23-001011
Media Release
Members of the Area II Vice Section recovered a large quantity of illegal drugs with a street value of more than $50,000 after arresting two men in Kona on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. The two men, 38-year-old Pueo Francois, of Kona, and 61-year-old Abdur Ali-Woods, of Sacramento, California, were subsequently charged with 11 drug-related offenses, on Wednesday afternoon, January 4, 2023.
Vice investigators obtained information that a male party, later identified as Ali-Woods, was flying to Hawai‘i island from out of state, with possible powdered fentanyl to distribute, and that Francois was in possession of powdered fentanyl.
On Tuesday, January 3, officers conducted an investigative traffic-stop on a rental vehicle in Kona being operated by Francois in which Ali-Woods was a passenger. The vehicle was screened by a Hawaii Police Department narcotics K9, and after the K9 alerted to the scent of narcotics, the vehicle was towed to the Kealakehe Police Station.
A search warrant was executed on the vehicle with police recovering nearly 50 grams of fentanyl, more than 20 grams of methamphetamine, 45 grams of heroin, and 21 grams of marijuana, with a street value of more than $54,000. They also seized $786 in US currency for forfeiture.
Both men were arrested with Francois also being arrested for an outstanding Criminal Contempt Warrant. After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office, Francois and Ali-Woods were each charged with:
- five counts of promoting a dangerous drug in the first degree
- two counts of promoting a dangerous drug in the second degree
- one count of promoting a dangerous drug in the third degree
- one count of promoting a controlled substance in, on, or near public housing projects or complexes
- one count of drug paraphernalia
- one count of promoting a detrimental drug in the third degree
Francois and Ali-Woods’ bail was set at $321,250 each. Both parties appeared in Kona District Court on January 5, 2023, for their initial appearance.