WAILUKU - A woman indicted in connection with the seizure of more than $1.5 million in drugs from a Kahului residence last year pleaded no contest to three reduced charges Wednesday, with the prosecution and defense agreeing to recommend that she be placed on five years' probation, The Maui News reported today.

As part of the plea agreement, the prosecution could ask that Ohia Aniban spend up to six months in jail when she is sentenced Oct. 16.

The 34-year-old Makawao resident pleaded no contest to criminal conspiracy and two counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug. Each charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Aniban and her husband, Patrick Aniban, were arrested along with two others Jan. 19, 2007, when police executed search warrants at the house that the Anibans were renting on South Puunene Avenue in Kahului.

Police reported finding nearly 18.5 pounds of cocaine, more than 6 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 1 ounce of marijuana and more than $112,000 cash.

According to police, the drugs had an estimated street value of more than $1.5 million, making it the biggest drug bust in Maui County history.

At the time, Ohia Aniban worked as an elementary school teacher, and the couple owned Subway restaurant franchises on Hana Highway in Kahului and on Molokai.

Along with her husband, Ohia Aniban was indicted on charges of first-degree methamphetamine trafficking and first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug for the crystal methamphetamine and cocaine found at the home. Each charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

In exchange for her pleas to the reduced charges, the prosecution agreed to dismiss four other charges - two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia, second-degree promotion of a detrimental drug and promoting a controlled substance near a public park.

Aniban entered her pleas a day after her husband was sentenced to a 20-year prison term and ordered to spend at least four years incarcerated before being eligible for parole. Deputy Prosecutor Mark Simonds described Patrick Aniban, 44, as the principal in the criminal operation that included smuggling drugs from the Mainland to Maui. Aniban had pleaded no contest as charged to 10 criminal counts.

During his sentencing Tuesday, Aniban's attorney, Michael Green, said that "because of what he did, she got sucked into this."

Based on statements of co-defendants and other evidence, defense attorney Philip Lowenthal said the defense agreed that the prosecution apparently could support a case that Ohia Aniban was an accessory or accomplice in the charges to which she entered pleas.

She agreed not to seek to keep the convictions off her record and not to ask to be sentenced under a law requiring probation rather than prison for some first-time drug offenders.

"Are you certain that you want to enter pleas of no contest to the three reduced charges?" 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza asked Aniban in court Wednesday.

"Yes," she replied.

Co-defendants Wallace Koga, 59, and Matthew Otterson, 36, earlier entered no-contest pleas to reduced charges and agreed to testify against the Anibans.

Otterson was placed on five years' probation with no further jail time when he was sentenced last week.

Koga is awaiting sentencing.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto @mauinews.com.