Kurtistown man accused of multiple firearms offenses
A judge on Wednesday denied a request by a 39-year-old Kurtistown man facing firearms and domestic violence charges to be released from custody without posting cash bail.
Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach denied a motion for supervised release and confirmed bail at $290,000 for Joshua Allen Sheen, who is facing three counts of prohibited possession of a firearm, two counts each of prohibited possession of ammunition and not registering firearms, alteration of a firearm’s identification marks, possession of a prohibited weapon, domestic abuse, second-degree terroristic threatening and marijuana possession.
Laubach noted that Sheen was free on supervised release, a form of cashless bail, in a pending Hilo Circuit Court case when the current offenses allegedly occurred. In that case, Sheen is charged with first-degree property damage, second-degree assault and first-degree terroristic threatening.
The most serious offenses in both cases — prohibited possession of a firearm and ammunition, and first-degree property damage — are Class B felonies carrying a maximum sentence of 10-years imprisonment upon conviction.
According to police, the victim, a 29-year-old woman, walked into the Hilo Police Station on Monday morning and reported being involved in a domestic argument earlier in the morning, when Sheen allegedly threw a bowl at her and struck her forehead, causing pain. Sheen also allegedly threatened to harm her and damage her property.
The woman also disclosed that Sheen possesses unregistered firearms at their 38th Avenue residence in Kurtistown. It was later determined that Sheen is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
Sheen was arrested without incident at 10:40 a.m. Monday, when he walked into the Pahoa Police Station to speak with an officer about an unrelated matter. During the arrest, officers confiscated Sheen’s vehicle as evidence after reportedly seeing a glass smoking pipe and marijuana inside.
On Monday evening, officers executed a search warrant was executed at the Kurtistown residence, taking into evidence two allegedly unregistered rifles and an altered shotgun, which police say was later determined to have been stolen in an unrelated incident.
Additionally, 530 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition and 30 rounds of 20-gauge shotgun ammunition were seized, police said.
On Tuesday morning, a search warrant was executed on Sheen’s vehicle, with just over 10 grams of processed marijuana taken into evidence, police said.
Detectives continue to investigate the stolen shotgun and will refer the case to the prosecutor’s office upon completion of the investigation.
Laubach ordered Sheen, who remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center, to return to court Friday for a preliminary hearing.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
