Media Release

Two Kea’au residents have been charged with commercial promotion of marijuana after police discovered an indoor marijuana growing operation at a home in Puna.

Puna community policing officers, Puna patrol officers and members of the Hawaii Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Section served a search warrant at a home on 40th Avenue in the Orchidland subdivision at 8:30 a.m. Monday (March 30). They discovered the indoor growing operation and recovered 113 marijuana plants, a small amount of dried processed marijuana and several items of drug paraphernalia, such as smoking pipes or “bongs,” plastic pots, growing medium and grow lights.

Arrested at the scene were 21-year-old William Ka’aiali’i Peters, 22-year-old Sarah M. Biddix and 23-year-old Jason Kainoa Walther, all of Kea’au.

The case was turned over to the Vice Section for further investigation.

Monday afternoon, Peters was charged with two counts of promoting a detrimental drug, one count of drug paraphernalia and one count of commercial promotion of marijuana. Biddix was charged with one count each of promoting a detrimental drug, drug paraphernalia and commercial promotion of marijuana.

Walther was released pending further investigation.