A Kailua-Kona man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine on the Big Island.
A Kailua-Kona man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine on the Big Island.
Senior United States District Judge Alan C. Kay sentenced Kali Lotoaiki Laulea, 33, on Monday to 155 months imprisonment for three counts of methamphetamine distribution, according to the FBI. A federal jury found Laulea guilty of the three charges in August following a five-day trial.
Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said Laulea distributed a total of 484 grams — or more than 17 ounces — of pure crystal methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” over the course of three drug transactions, which took place in Kailua-Kona during August 2013.
The investigation that resulted in the charges against Laulea was conducted by the FBI, with the assistance of the Hawaii Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Hattan and Mark Inciong handled the prosecution.