Tinian firefighter allegedly caught with drugs

The Superior Court has imposed a $25,000 cash bail on a Tinian firefighter who was allegedly caught in possession of methamphetamine.

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho imposed last week a $25,000 cash bail on Christopher San Nicolas King, who was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine pursuant to an anonymous tip.

King, 48, faces one count of possession of a controlled substance.

During his bail hearing last week, King’s lawyer, assistant public defender Emily Thomsen, asked to have her client’s bail modified and have him released to his sister on Tinian as a third-party custodian.

Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds strongly opposed the motion for bail modification, arguing that a person convicted of drug charges is one of the members of the sister’s household.

Camacho found the proposed third-party custodian unsuitable and denied the request for bail modification.

Following the bail hearing, Camacho remanded the defendant back to Department of Corrections custody.

King was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 14 while his arraignment was set for March 4.

According to the complaint against King, an anonymous caller informed Tinian Department of Public Safety on Jan. 28 about a package containing meth that was arriving via Star Marianas. Police were told that the package was for King and was sent by his brother.

On the same day, Tinian DPS, in coordination with the Division of Customs and Biosecurity, confirmed that a package had arrived at the Tinian airport for King.

Police later determined that the package contained one gram of methamphetamine.

At approximately 2:58pm, King picked up the package at the airport.

At 3:05pm, a police vehicle pulled King over and an officer found the package in the back seat of King’s vehicle.

During a search, a Customs officer found a crystal-like substance in a Ziploc bag covered with a paper towel inside a black pepper container. The substance later tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine,

King, in a freely given statement to investigators, admitted that his brother sent the package, and that it contained meth.