Feds indict 3 Big Island men for drug trafficking
Federal prosecutors have taken over the cases of three Big Island men accused of distributing drugs.
A federal grand jury on Feb. 3 indicted 44-year-old Timothy Nacis of Paauilo, who was arrested Jan. 3 for the alleged attempted possession and distribution of over 5 pounds of methamphetamine and damaging a police subsidized vehicle.
Nacis was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to police, Nacis picked up a package at the Paauilo Post Office that contained more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine, or “ice,” with a street value of more than $136,000.
After Nacis allegedly took possession of the parcel and drove off in a vehicle, a uniformed police officer in a taxpayer-subsidized vehicle with its blue light activated attempted to pull Nacis over at the intersection of Old Mamalahoa Highway and Highway 19 across from Donna’s Cookies.
Nacis allegedly fled, striking the officer’s vehicle on the front driver’s side.
Police say Nacis kept his foot on the accelerator in an attempt to push past the officer’s vehicle — described in a state court document as a Chevy Tahoe sport-utility vehicle assigned to Officer Wyatt K. Kaili-Leong — as the officer and his vehicle were perched on the precipice of a 100-foot deep ravine.
Neither Kaili-Leong nor Nacis were injured in the collision, although the Tahoe sustained more than $1,500 in damage, according to documents.
On Feb. 14, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter ordered that Nacis be released on $50,000 bond with special conditions. His jury trial is scheduled for April 11.
In a separate case, the federal grand jury also indicted 47-year-old Michael Kaonohi Perry of Kona.
According to police, when Perry was arrested on Jan. 5, he was in possession of more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine, plus fentanyl pills and hydrocodone, a loaded Springfield 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
Perry, a convicted felon, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in the commission of a drug-trafficking crime.
Porter on Feb. 14 ordered that Perry be detained without bail pending his jury trial, which is scheduled for April 11.
And in a third case, on Jan. 20 a federal grand jury indicted 35-year-old Jeremy John Jensen of Ocean View, who was arrested Oct. 12 for the alleged attempted distribution of more than 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin possession, and being a felon in possession of a loaded 9 mm Ruger semi-automatic handgun.
Jensen is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a detectable amount of heroin, carrying a firearm in the commission of a drug-trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Rom Trader on Jan. 28 ordered that Jensen be detained without bail pending his jury trial, which is scheduled for July 25.
Email John Burnett at jburnettt@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
