MEDIA RELEASE

Police are asking for the public’s help in locating two men wanted in connection with the investigation of a commercial marijuana growing operation.

Hilo vice officers are looking for 23-year-old Kenneth Ray Pantalion Jr. and 61-year-old Timothy S. Fondren.

Pantalion is described as 5-foot-11, about 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Fondren is described as 5-foot-7, 155 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Both men are known to frequent the upper and lower portions of the Puna District.

The commercial marijuana operation involves two indoor marijuana growing facilities in Volcano.

On Wednesday, Feb. 4 Hilo vice officers served search warrants on two homes in the Volcano area. A home in the Volcano Golf Course subdivision and another in Volcano Village were discovered to be the sites of indoor marijuana growing operations.

Vice officers recovered 395 marijuana plants (seedlings to 2 feet tall), approximately 10 pounds of dry marijuana and 7.1 grams of marijuana hashish from the two homes. Also recovered were lamps, ballasts and other items associated with indoor marijuana growing operations.

Police arrested 26-year-old Timothy M. Fondren of Volcano in connection with this investigation. He was already in custody at the time for another drug investigation being conducted by Kona Vice officers. Hilo officers arrested Fondren for four counts of first-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, three counts of second-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, one count of second-degree promotion of a harmful drug, two counts of first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana, one count of second-degree promotion of marijuana and eight counts of prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia. He remains in custody at the Hilo cellblock without charges while investigators continue the investigation.

Police urge anyone with information about the location of Pantalion and/or the elder Fondren call the Police Department’s non-emergency number at 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 or 329-8181.