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Court documents reveal murdered youth gang ‘counselor’ was allegedly involved in drug ring
KITV: … The suspect in a nearly three-year-old murder case was indicted earlier this month. The FBI arrested 36-year-old Filimone Tavake in California for gunning down youth gang counselor Malakai "Mo" Maumalanga in the driveway of his Aiea home in March 2021.
Documents filed in a federal court Thursday allege Maumalanga and Tavake were involved in a methamphetamine drug ring in Honolulu at the time of the murder.
During the investigation, the FBI, along with Honolulu Police Department, found Tavake was supplying Maumalanga with drugs to sell, and about eight pounds of meth was found at Maumalanga's home. Text messages between the two men were consistent with drug distribution and Tavake threatened Maumalanga if he didn't pay for the drugs….
At the time of the murder, friends and family described Maulanaga as a reformed gang member after spending one year in prison for his involvement in a drive-by shooting as a young adult. After he was released, he earned a Master's Degree in social work. He was a program director at Adult Friends for Youth, a non-profit organization that helps turn the lives around of at-risk youth….
(CLUE: Counselor position helped him meet underlings needed to sling the meth.)
read … Court documents reveal murdered youth gang counselor was allegedly involved in drug ring
Honolulu Council Chair Tommy Waters to reject 3% raise
SA: … In a written statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Chair Tommy Waters said in advance of the commission’s final salary recommendations for fiscal year 2025, to be presented on April 23, that he’ll give back any approved raise for his seat.
The Council chair’s post — which in 2023 saw a 60% pay bump, to $123,292 annually, up from $76,968 — is currently proposed to have its pay boosted to $126,712.
If approved, Waters’ planned raise will take effect July 1….
“Until we’ve had the opportunity to discuss this publicly as a body, I would not presume to know where the other Council members are on this issue, but I suspect that many of our members will support taking some formal action ahead of the commission’s final recommendations,” he said….
In 2023 three Council members — Radiant Cordero, Augie Tulba and Andria Tupola — formally rejected their 64% pay raises, keeping their Council compensation set at $68,904….Meantime, the city managing director’s pay also will increase, to $206,733, above what already was received in 2023, or $200,712, up from $178,320. The deputy managing director position will similarly increase to $196,005, up from $190,296.
Other high-level city positions are expected to receive a nearly 3.6% pay hike — due, in part, to existing collective bargaining agreements still being negotiated between the city and Bargaining Unit 13, composed of professional and scientific employees — as the new fiscal year nears.
Some of those positions include:
- >> Prosecuting attorney: to $206,028 from $198,888.
- >> Police chief: to $239,964 from $231,648.
- >> Fire chief: to $232,357 from $224,304.
- >> Corporation counsel: to $199,788 from $192,864.
In addition, 14 department heads will see their pay jump to $194,219 from $187,488, while 14 deputy department heads will see salary hikes to $184,274 from $177,888.
According to the city, the nearly 3.6% pay increase does not include a nearly 2% annual step increase to pay per that bargaining unit….
read … Honolulu Council Chair Tommy Waters to reject 3% raise
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