HILO — An Orchidland Estates woman was sentenced Thursday to a decade in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a pound of heroin. HILO — An Orchidland Estates woman was sentenced Thursday to a decade in prison after pleading guilty
HILO — An Orchidland Estates woman was sentenced Thursday to a decade in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a pound of heroin.
In a deal with prosecutors, Catherine R. Kessaris, 58, pleaded guilty to second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, for which she is required to serve a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and pay $1,205 in fees and fine totaling.
She had been charged with first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Kessaris was arrested May 10 after Hilo Vice officers served a search warrant at her home and found 457.3 grams of heroin, digital scales, packaging materials, a .357-caliber revolver, a .22-caliber rifle, ammunition, an XT-800 electric stun gun and $5,200 in cash.
Prior to sentencing, Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara told Kessaris that a review of her history showed many run-ins with the law involving drugs.
As part of the agreement with the prosecutor, Kessaris pleaded guilty to the lesser, Class B felony of promoting a dangerous drug in the second-degree, which covers as little as an eighth of an ounce of heroin or more. The Class A felony of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug of an ounce or more of heroin could have yielded up to a 20-year sentence.
