Routine patrol in ʻĀinaloa leads to firearms, theft charges against Big Island man

A Pāhoa man faces several firearms and theft charges after he and a woman who was with him were found hiding nearby a running stolen truck earlier this week in a Puna subdivision on the Big Island.

After conferring with the Hawai‘i County prosecuting attorney’s office, police on Wednesday arrested and charged 39-year-old Sergey Anatolyevich Tkachuk with an array of firearms and property offenses:

• Ownership or possession prohibited (firearm).
• Ownership of possession prohibited (ammunition).
• Possession of prohibited weapons (weapon barrel length).
• Manufacturing, purchasing or obtaining firearm parts to assemble a firearm having no serial number (ghost gun).
• Place to keep firearm.
• Place to keep ammunition.
• Unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle.
• First-degree theft (vehicle).
• Second-degree theft (utility trailer).
• Three counts unauthorized possession of confidential personal information.

Tkachuk’s bail was set at $156,000.

The charges against Tkachuk stem from an incident shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday when Puna patrol officers performing proactive beat checks in ʻĀinaloa observed a pickup truck towing a trailer driving on ʻĀinaloa Boulevard and then turning onto Sugarcane Drive. As the officers pursued, turning onto Sugarcane Drive, they saw the same truck on the side of the road, partially in the bushes.

The truck engine was still running, the lights were on and the driver’s door was open; however, no one was in the truck or the immediate area. As officers began to investigate, they determined the truck and trailer were recently reported stolen. Officers then identified a fresh trail into the nearby bushes and shortly thereafter located Tkachuk and a female acquaintance, 20-year-old Isabella Penn, attempting to conceal themselves.

Tkachuk and Penn were each arrested on outstanding warrants.

The stolen truck and trailer, as well as two bags located next to Tkachuk, were recovered. The Hawai‘i Police Department Area I Crime Reduction Unit later served search warrants on the vehicle and bags, recovering an un-serialized rifle with a prohibited barrel length, ammunition and documents containing personal confidential information not belonging to Tkachuk or Penn.

In addition to the charges related to this case, Tkachuk was also arrested and charged on the two outstanding warrants; one for violating conditions of release of bail, recognizance or supervised release and the other for first-degree bail jumping. The total bail for the two warrants was $20,000.

Tkachuk appeared Tuesday in Hilo Circuit Court for the warrants, where he was again granted supervised release. He was then returned to the Hilo cellblock because of the pending firearms and drug charges.

Penn was charged with two counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. Her bail was set at $21,000.

Tkachuk and Penn were each scheduled for court appearances Thursday afternoon in Hilo District Court.