two people have been ordered to pay a total of $51,000 after being convicted
of making bogus distress calls that sent Coast Guard aircraft and boats
scrambling to search for missing people who did not exist.

In the latest case, Justin J. Aquino, 19, of O'ahu, was sentenced Monday to
five years supervised probation and 100 hours of community service following
his guilty plea to a felony charge of making a false Mayday call to the
Coast Guard on March 8.

He also was ordered to reimburse the Coast Guard $29,000 for costs incurred
in responding to the false distress call. Aquino could not be reached for
comment yesterday.

In a previous case, Christine Stark was sentenced on Sept. 12, 2006, to
three years probation and ordered to pay $22,000 after she triggered a Coast
Guard search in waters off Maui on Aug. 28, 2003.

Stark could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Following news of Aquino's sentencing, U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said the "large
monetary fine makes it clear that these false reports are not funny. Whether
a false distress call to the Coast Guard, or a false report about something
on a plane, or even the false yelling of fire in a theater - these types of
reports cause unnecessary fear and distress among innocent families and the
public."

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