by Andrew Walden

In March and April, as COVID was shutting Hawaii down, Federal prosecutors say State DoH lab worker and HGEA member Trevor Keegan and his alleged partner in crime, Austin White, had other priorities—like allegedly ‘cooking’ LSD and allegedly selling it to US Air Force personnel.  Citing his Facebook page, prosecutors say Keegan, at the time, was working in the Hawaii Department of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division as an “extract tech.”

Between December and February, undercover cops made multiple buys from White, hoping for an introduction to his cooker.

Then COVID hit.

On March 10, 2020, the DoH announced it was conducting a paltry 200 ‘sentinel’ tests per week looking for COVID.

On March 17, 2020, Governor Ige ordered a 14 day quarantine for incoming travelers—effectively shutting tourism down.

March 17, 2020, Dr Scott Miscovich launched his first mobile COVID testing site—at Kualoa Ranch.

“You would think that employees at the state disease outbreak control center would be too busy these days for such extracurricular activities,” Dan Grazier, an ex-Marine Corps officer who now works for the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight, told The Daily Beast.

Not.

The indictment reads: “On March 18, 2020, during a recorded phone call, White told UC-1 that making 300 paper blotter tabs of LSD would be “easy” for his source of supply.”

On March 25, 2020, DoH Epidemiologist Dr Sarah Park went on a 10-minute rant against testing before the Senate Special Committee on COVID-19. 

On March 30 undercover cops finally spied Trevor Keegan handing off drugs to White.

White allegedly used Snapchat to continue advertising drug sales as late as April 23, 2020.  On that date DoH reported a cumulative total of 12 COVID deaths and 596 cases statewide.

Here are the details from Keegan’s recently unsealed indictment: 

PROBABLE CAUSE AND BACKGROUND OF INVESTIGATION

5.   In September 2019, a United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations confidential source provided information that an individual was utilizing the social media application Snapchat to advertise and conduct drug sales, particularly with active duty military service members.

6.   The matter was referred to DEA, which identified the individual as Austin White through his public Snapchat account and a photograph from his State of Hawaii driver’s license. White’s public Snapchat account showed the public advertisement of various controlled substances for sale with listed prices. One of the advertised controlled substances was Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (“LSD”),more commonly known as “acid,” which is a schedule I controlled substance.

7.  Utilizing Snapchat, investigators contacted White for a drug purchase.On December 4, 2019, White sold an undercover agent (“UC-1”), approximately twenty grams of a suspected LSD mixture in the form of ingestible gummies for $200 at an address in the District of Hawaii.

8.  On January 13, 2020, White sold UC-1 approximately fifteen grams of suspected LSD mixture in both blotter paper and ingestible gummy form for$500 at an address in the District of Hawaii.

9. On February 18, 2020, White sold UC-1 approximately forty-eight paper blotter tabs of suspected LSD for $900 at an address in the District of Hawaii. During this drug purchase, White told UC-1 that his source of supply for the LSD “works in chemistry” and “makes his own stuff.” During further conversations with UC-1, White has referred to his source of supply as “the chemist” and “the cook.”

10. On March 18, 2020, during a recorded phone call, White told UC-1that making 300 paper blotter tabs of LSD would be “easy” for his source of supply.

11. On March 30, 2020, White told UC-1 to meet him at an address in the District of Hawaii for purposes of another LSD purchase. White told UC-1 that his source of supply would bring the LSD and that White would retrieve the LSD from him. White also told UC-1 that White was the “middle man.” During the purchase, White told UC-1 that the source of supply was nearby and pointed to a vehicle occupied by only one individual. UC-1 gave White $2,500. White then immediately entered the vehicle that he associated with the source of supply.White then returned to UC-1 and handed over 166 paper blotter tabs of suspected LSD. Directly after the March 30 drug purchase, the vehicle White associated with his source of supply departed the area. Your affiant observed the driver of this vehicle and positively identified the driver as TREVOR KEEGAN from his Hawaii driver’s license photograph. This vehicle was also registered to a “Trevor Keegan.”

12. According to his Facebook account, KEEGAN works at the State of Hawaii’s Department of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division as an “extract tech.” Through conversations with DEA Forensic Chemists, your affiant knows an“extract tech” may possess knowledge of chemistry and how to operate a lab and utilize lab equipment.

13.   The paper blotter tabs from both the January 13 and February 18,2020 purchases were tested at DEA South West Lab with positive results for the presence of LSD. The paper blotter tabs purchased on March 30, 2020, were also submitted to the DEA South West Lab. Those results are pending, however these paper blotter tabs are of the same likeness as those purchased from White on January 13 and February 18, 2020.

14.  As recently as April 23, 2020, White has continued to advertise the sale of controlled substances, including LSD, using Snapchat….

1:20-cr-00076: USA v Keegan Sealed April 30, 2020

1:20-cr-00077: USA v White Sealed April 30, 2020, filed Sept 16, 2020

HNN: State Health Dept. chemist charged with making, selling LSD to military servicemembers