Couple plead in wrinkle-reducing drug scheme ADVERTISING Couple plead in wrinkle-reducing drug scheme HONOLULU (AP) — A New York City couple pleaded guilty to charges of illegally injecting women in Honolulu with wrinkle-reducing drugs and attempting to smuggle to South
Couple plead in wrinkle-reducing drug scheme
HONOLULU (AP) — A New York City couple pleaded guilty to charges of illegally injecting women in Honolulu with wrinkle-reducing drugs and attempting to smuggle to South Korea nearly $80,000 cash, federal prosecutors said.
Bu Young Kim and her husband, Chan Hui Cho, of New York’s Whitestone neighborhood, imported the drug Dysport from South Korea, according to court documents.
Most of the couple’s customers were women who work in Honolulu’s strip clubs and bars and wanted to get cosmetic procedures at a discount, Green said.
Kim and Cho face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when they are sentenced later this year.
Measure would decriminalize prostitution
HONOLULU (AP) — State lawmakers are considering decriminalizing prostitution in the Aloha State after House Speaker Joseph Souki introduced a bill.
The proposal also would end a state law that says police officers can’t have sex with prostitutes in the course of investigations.
Transgender activist Tracy Ryan says she’s pushing the bill because transgender women in the sex trade are disproportionately impacted by criminalization laws.
But longtime anti-sex trafficking advocate Kathryn Xian says making selling, promoting or buying sex legal would make it harder to prove violence and abuse in the industry.
House Majority Leader Scott Saiki says this and a bill to decriminalize marijuana might be part of a push to reduce the prison population.
HPD says it can’t afford chief’s $250K severance
HONOLULU (AP) — The Honolulu Police Department says it will ask the City Council to approve a $250,000 severance payment for outgoing Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who is the target of a federal investigation involving allegations of civil rights abuses and corruption.
The Honolulu Police Commission approved the retirement deal last month. The agreement calls for Kealoha to be paid within 15 days of signing the Jan. 18 deal, but HPD officials say it has not been processed.
Acting Police Chief Cary Okimoto questioned whether department funds should be used to cover the severance and told the commission Wednesday the department can’t afford it.
Okimoto said he will ask the council for the money. City law requires the department to seek council approval when spending more than $100,000, he said.
If HPD does have to dip into its own funds, it is not clear where cuts will have to be made to come up with the extra money.
