MEDIA RELEASE

Gerald Wrischnik

A California man is facing drug trafficking charges following an arrest Easter Sunday at Kona International Airport at Keāhole.

At 7:43 p.m. Sunday (April 5), officers from the Area II Vice Section served a search warrant on 40-year-old Gerald Wrischnik of Oceanside, California, after he deplaned from a flight. The search warrant included an X-ray of his body at Kona Community Hospital, where items were found concealed within his person.

Police recovered 175.6 grams of a black tar-like substance suspected to be heroin and 4.6 grams of a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine. They were packaged in a manner consistent with the importation of narcotics.

Wrischnik was taken to the Kona police cellblock while Vice detectives continued the investigation.

At 1 p.m. Tuesday (April 7), detectives charged him with first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, second-degree attempted meth trafficking, criminal conspiracy and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $160,000. He remains at the cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday (April 8).