Press Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Hawaii
PJKK Federal Building (808) 541-2850
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 6-100 FAX (808) 541-2958
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
October 9, 2007
For Immediate Release
P R E S S R E L E A S E
BRONWYN KUGLE, age 39, a former teacher, of Kailua, Hawaii, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway to 37 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess, with intent to distribute 500 grams of cocaine and a quantity of MDMA (also known as "ecstacy"); possession with intent to distribute a quantity of MDMA; possession of a firearm and ammunition while being an unlawful user of controlled substances (cocaine and methamphetamine); and criminal forfeiture of her interest in her Kailua residence.
According to court proceedings, on February 12, 2007, a parcel being shipped via a commercial delivery service, from California to BRONWYN KUGLE's Kailua residence, was found to contain approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine and 989 MDMA tablets. On February 13, 2007, law enforcement effected a controlled delivery of the parcel to KUGLE's residence, Kugle accepted delivery of the parcel, took it into her residence and later opened it. An ensuing search of KUGLE's residence recovered a loaded firearm with an obliterated serial number, 100 MDMA tablets, and user quantities of methamphetamine in two locations as well as a glass methamphetamine pipe.
Edward H. Kubo, Jr., United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that KUGLE, who was employed by the State of Hawaii Department of Education as a teacher at Kaelepulu Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, was not just a user of cocaine and methamphetamine who turned to selling drugs in order to support her habit; KUGLE became a financier of drug deals by utilizing the equity in her residence.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Honolulu Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kawahara.
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