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By RYAN MITCHEL COLLINS
Managing Editor
WAILUKU--Robert Dumaran, 47, who is being held without bail in the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, was scheduled to make his initial appearance Tuesday for the charge of possessing an unregistered destructive device, and attempting to damage property affecting interstate commerce by means of explosives.
The initial appearance for Dumaran that was scheduled for Aug. 27 has been continued to Sept. 10, delaying the scheduled U.S. District Court hearing by 14 days.
"The defendant (Dumaran) needs additional time beyond September 9, 2024, to prepare and continue to confer with his counsel, and to have sufficient time to review case-related materials and his potential options," court documents give as the reason for the continuation.
The criminal complaint for the charges against Dumaran were initially sealed to the public, but a motion to partially unseal the case files was filed and granted by United States Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield on Aug. 13.
According to the affidavit in support of criminal complaint that was submitted to the court on Aug. 10, by FBI Special Agent Alicia Hansen, Dumaran was eventually apprehended through latent fingerprints left behind on clear packing tape used in the construction of an IED obtained by the Maui Police Department (MPD) that was sent to an FBI lab for analysis. The IED the prints were on was discovered by the MPD near Kahului Elementary School in the roadway at 7:51 a.m. on July 23.
In addition to the fingerprints obtained on July 23, data obtained from operators of cellular towers on Maui indicated Dumaran's prepaid cell phone was in the vicinity of Kahului Elementary at approximately 7 a.m. on July 23.
Two other incidents are referred to in the criminal complaint that took place on Aug. 7, and Aug. 8.
According to the criminal complaint, "On August 7, 2024, MPD officers encountered multiple IEDs near Kaamana Street in Kula, Hawaii. MPD determined multiple IEDs had been detonated along the roadway. Several appeared similar to the IED located on July 23, 2024."
According to court documents, on Aug. 8, 2024, MPD and FBI personnel responded to an area near Haleakala Highway and Aeloa Road in Pukalani in response to a report that an explosion had caused a car accident.
"A witness on scene reported observing a flash similar to lightning and feeling the ground shake similar to an earthquake. The witness reported seeing a white Kia Sportage get hit with concrete as it drove along the roadway; the concrete appeared to come from an explosion. The witness reported the Kia Sportage appeared to lift off the ground," the probable cause statement reads.
Data obtained from Google indicated that an email address belonging to "Bobby Dumaran" is the recovery email for the prepaid cell phone pinged near Kahului Elementary on July 23. Google data also confirmed that the email was active and in use on an Android device as of Aug. 9, 2024.
Data from Verizon wireless indicated an exchange of text messages with an unnamed third party concerning explosions. It also revealed that the cell phone was, "approximately five miles west of Kaamana Street in Kula, Hawaii, on August 5, 2024 (i.e., two days before the IEDs were discovered at that location)."
"Think I gotta go set off sum explosions ... make me feel better."
A third party responded one minute later according to court documents, "What you going to set off the grenade one".
"No Neva find a target yet..."
According to charging documents, "In January 2022, MPD executed search warrants related to Dumaran. While executing those warrants, MPD located custom fireworks,
ammunition, controlled substances, and componentry capable of being used to create
IEDs in Dumaran's residence. Law enforcement obtained Dumaran's fingerprints in connection with that operation."
Dumaran was out on bail for two separate cases in Second Circuit Court at the time the search was conducted in January of 2022. Dumaran was out on two $100,000 bails for three pending felony charges that were filed in June of 2019, and 14 charges stemming from a February 2020 case. Dumaran is due in Second Circuit Court in Wailuku on Nov. 22, for the three felony charges, and Sept. 30, for the 14 charges.
According to court documents, Dumaran is listed as the heir in an active probate case that was filed in May of 2023 over the estate of his son Tre' P. Evans-Dumaran. Evans-Dumaran died on January 27, 2023, after responding to flooding during severe weather in Kihei while serving the County of Maui as a firefighter.