A Guam Police Department officer, who was a drug-detection K-9 handler and also served on federal task forces against drug trafficking and illegal firearms, was a major meth trafficker, according to warrants unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of Guam.
The warrants – one to search Brian Awa’s cell phone contents, and two that led to interception of meth in the mail – were from 2020, point to investigations into Mr. Awa that began in late 2019, and list the full names of several people Homeland Security Investigations have dubbed as drug traffickers on Guam.
Mr. Awa, according to Guam Police Department acting spokesman Sgt. Paul Tapao, is believed to have since separated from the agency. While the documented allegations and evidence have been publicly disclosed, there are no federal court cases in the district of Guam that have been unsealed bearing Mr. Awa’s name as defendant.
According to HSI’s assertions in its warrant application, Mr. Awa was a high-level drug trafficker. At least three of his underlings have since either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of federal narcotics trafficking charges.
The warrant application’s narrative reveals a laundry list of alleged traffickers, who began to roll on each other, leading federal authorities to Mr. Awa.
“On December 18, 2019, a Source of Information (SOI) was interviewed by HSI agents,” the warrant applications states. “The SOI told agents that on or about May or June 2019, the SOI witnessed the consignment of two pounds of methamphetamine aka “ice” by AWA to James DAMASO. The delivery of the two pounds of ice took place at AWA’s residence in Kaiser Dededo, Guam. Present with Brian AWA was Jovan BRADBURY who was well known to the SOI.”
Three months earlier, the Drug Enforcement Agency arrested now-felon Brian Chan after busting him with 170 gross grams of meth, and he “immediately cooperated with DEA agents and gave information relating to Brian AWA. CHAN claimed that he was a distributor of methamphetamine for Brian AWA from the period of late 2018 to January2019. CHAN claimed that he distributed about 120 grams of ice for AWA and had delivered drug proceeds directly to AWA at AWA’s residence at #32 Tulip Court Carlos Heights Tamuning, Guam. CHAN claimed that he had also smoked ice with AWA at AWA’s residence and was offered by AWA to distribute pound quantities of methamphetamine which CHAN turned down.”
According to the affidavit, Mr. Awa sent people within his alleged drug trafficking organization to collect drug debts, one of which was $216,000 from a single person.
Using this information, an HSI special agent subpoenaed Docomo phone records of several targets of investigation, all showing activity allegedly with Mr. Awa through the cell phone linked to an account under he and his girlfriend’s name at Docomo.
Then on January 22, 2020, the HSI special agent participated in an operation related to the possible deportation of Philippine citizen Jovan Bradbury, who had a felony drug conviction in local court and was thus subject to deportation. Instead, the special agent advised Mr. Bradbury of his right to remain silent, Mr. Bradbury waived his rights, and the defendant began to talk and cooperate with the federal government.
“BRADBURY told HSI agents that on or about the early part of 2018, he was recruited by Brian AWA to sell ice. BRADBURY knew that Brian AWA was a police officer with GPD, but heard rumors on the streets that AWA was a dirty cop. He was initially supplied by AWA with gram quantities of ice to sell and eventually moved up to selling ounce quantities,” the warrant application states. “BRADBURY confirmed that AWA supplied James DAMASO with ice and had personally delivered pound quantities of ice to DAMASO at the direction of Brian AWA.”
Mr. Bradbury provided photos Mr. Awa allegedly sent to him, to federal cops. The photos described in the affidavit were of substances on scales that appeared to be methamphetamine and which totaled weight of methamphetamine in the pounds. At the time the photos were taken (December 2018), the street value of a pound of meth at wholesale was around $80,000.
Mr. Bradbury also provided pages of text message transcripts between himself and allegedly Mr. Awa that show continuous drug trafficking activity, including a reference to an alleged receipt of 120 pounds of methamphetamine. Mr. Bradbury referred to Mr. Awa as “boss,” in these messages.
HSI the following month used Mr. Bradbury in order to gather further evidence against Mr. Awa.
On April 8, 2020, federal authorities intercepted a box mailed to Mr. Awa, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Bordallo signed a warrant for its seizure and search. HSI special agents found 102 grams of methamphetamine in the package.
On May 20, 2020, federal authorities intercepted another box mailed to Mr. Awa, and Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood signed a warrant for its seizure and search. HSI special agents found 226 grams of methamphetamine in the package.
Click here to read the initial application for search warrant.
1 Comments
B
11/30/2023 at 9:23 PM
Yes baby put in work… can’t beat em… join them…
Recovery is for everyone! Happy Holidays to all….