Big Isle man accused of stealing ATV from Kea‘au High School in August now charged with theft of trailer from Pāhoa school

A Big Island man who was out on supervised release after being arrested and charged in August for allegedly stealing an all-terrain vehicle from a Kea‘au school is back in custody, now accused of making off with a trailer reported stolen Oct. 2 from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Science Public Charter School campus in Pāhoa.

He also faces several drug and firearms charges in connection with the new theft case.

The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of Hawai‘i County reports that 28 year-old Ha‘aheo Chan of Mountain View is charged with:

• Second-degree theft.
• Second-degree promoting a dangerous drug.
• Third-degree promoting a dangerous drug.
• Ownership or possession of ammunition prohibited.
• Ownership or possession of firearm prohibited.

Chan made his initial court appearance in the trailer theft case Monday in Hilo District Court, where his bail was maintained at $130,000. He remains in custody and was ordered to appear today for a preliminary hearing.

Hawai‘i Police Department officers recovered the trailer Oct. 30 from a Sandalwood Drive residence in Pāhoa and executed a search warrant in a bedroom thought to be Chan’s at the same home.

During the execution of the search warrant, officers also recovered a .22-caliber Jennings pistol, .22-caliber ammunition, 10-plus grams of methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe.

Second-degree promoting a dangerous drug is a Class B felony, punishable by either 10 years in prison or 4 years probation and up to 18 months in jail.

Second-degree theft and ownership or possession prohibited, as charged in this case, are all Class C felonies, punishable by either 5 years in prison or 4 years probation and up 1 year in jail.

Chan was on supervised release — granted by a Hilo District Court judge despite objections from the prosecutor — when he was taken into custody in connection with the stolen trailer case.

He was arrested and charged in August for an unrelated case involving the theft of a John Deere all-terrain vehicle from Kea‘au High School.

Chan is charged with first-degree theft, a Class B felony, and first-degree unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, a Class C felony, in that case, which was committed to Hilo Circuit Court.

His supervised released has been revoked, and he also had a hearing shceduled for today in the all-terrain vehicle theft case.

His latest arrest was made by Puna Patrol Officer Ashton Gomes. The felony investigation was handled by the Hawai‘i Police Department Area I Criminal Investigation Section’s Crime Reduction Unit.

The Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Science trailer theft case is being prosecuted by Deputy Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Patrick Muñoz.