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Lahaina man jailed on drugs, weapons charges

WAILUKU — A Lahaina man has been taken into custody to serve an 18-month jail term after he was arrested for having drugs and a loaded firearm in a vehicle and for passing counterfeit bills.

Jordan Phanphongsa, 27, also was placed on four years’ probation when he was sentenced Jan. 9.

“The whole thing is like a Keystone Cops operation,” 2nd Circuit Judge Peter Cahill said in imposing the sentence. 

In September 2015, Phanphongsa and three other men were arrested when they were found in possession of methamphetamine, morphine, cocaine and an unregistered rifle in Kapalua, said Deputy Prosecutor Kenton Werk.

Questioned by the judge in court, Phanphongsa said he and the others had been collecting Jackson’s chameleons when they were found on Maui Land & Pineapple Co. property. They planned to keep some chameleons and sell others, Phanphongsa said.

He said there was a .22-caliber rifle in the vehicle because of pigs in the mountains. He and the others were arrested after the battery in the vehicle died.

While the case was pending, Phanphongsa was arrested in February 2016 for passing counterfeit bills at businesses. Someone gave him the counterfeit money, he said.

In the two cases, Phanphongsa had pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree forgery, second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and keeping a loaded firearm in an improper place.

“I know I did some bad things,” Phanphongsa said in court. “I just want to do better in my life.”

His attorney, Chris Dunn, said Phanphongsa had been working until recently when he began staying home to care for his two young children.

“He’s a young man who has a lot of potential,” Dunn said.

He asked that Phanphongsa’s sentence be similar to those of his co-defendants, who received up to 49 days in jail.

Werk argued for the 18-month jail term.

He noted that Phanphongsa didn’t show up to participate in a report that was prepared for his sentencing and had continued to use methamphetamine while released on supervision.

“It gives the state an indication he’s not motivated for substance abuse treatment or to change the trajectory of his life, which at this point is on track to go to prison,” Werk said.

Phanphongsa said he hadn’t been using drugs.

That couldn’t be verified because Phanphongsa hadn’t reported for supervision and random drug treatment as ordered, Judge Cahill said.

He said Phanphongsa’s co-defendants had entered no-contest pleas earlier and had followed court requirements.

Phanphongsa failed to comply with court orders while his cases were pending, Cahill said.

He said his appointment to complete his presentence investigation report was rescheduled three times, “and he still did not complete this task.”

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.

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