Escaped Hope man nabbed in Palau
SANDPOINT — A Hope man on the run in Micronesia on drug trafficking charges was apprehended Saturday, according to the Palau Ministry of Justice.
Junior Larry Hillbroom was arrested after a short foot chase through a sandy mangrove area near Meyuns. Authorities in the island republic received information that Hillbroom was driving a Nissan X-Trail in the Koror area and investigated the tip.
The suspect vehicle was spotted near Sureor Gym. Hillbroom was reportedly standing in a summer house near the gym when he saw police and bolted. Police arrested him and he was booked into the Koror Jail at 11:05 p.m. He was accused of fleeing the same facility on Thursday.
Hillbrook, who is reportedly the scion of the of the wealthy cofounder DHL Worldwide Express, was arrested in Palau on Wednesday on allegations that he conspired with two woman who concealed up to 160 grams of methamphetamines within their bodies for importation from the Philippines to Palau.
The two women were arrested when they touched down at Palau International Airport, leading to the arrest of Hillbroom. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and allegedly escaped from the jail while awaiting trial on the trafficking charge.
The offense carries a 25- to 50-year prison term in Palau. An alleged accomplice in Hillbroom’s escape, Edwin Nakamura, was caught in Palau on Friday and has since pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting escape, according to the Palau Ministry of Justice.
Authorities in Palau said Hillbrook will be held in a secure cell for 23 hours a day and will only be allowed one hour of sunlight and fresh air. Only Hillbroom’s lawyer will be allowed visitation and if he’s allowed out of his cell, he will be placed in handcuffs and leg irons.
Hillbroom, 31, is an heir to the multimillion-dollar estate of Larry Lee Hillblom, who helped found successful DHL shipping outfit. Hillblom disappeared on a flight en route to Saipan in 1995.
A series of paternity lawsuits surfaced in the wake of Hillblom’s disappearance, including one which conclusively determined Hillbroom’s lineage. Hillbroom received a $50 million windfall once legal and other fees were accounted for, according to the San Francisco Business Times.