Hawaii man sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking following HSI investigation
HONOLULU – A Waianae man was sentenced in federal court today to 18 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for leading a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii.
Following a probe by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Hawaii County Police Department, Samuel K. Kapoi, 35, pleaded guilty on May 25 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“This significant sentence is the result of many hours of difficult and dangerous work carried out by brave law enforcement officers for the benefit of our society,” said John F. Tobon, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) covering Hawaii, Guam, CNMI and Western Pacific Islands. “HSI will continue to identify and investigate those who endanger our communities.”
According to documents presented in court, Kapoi was responsible for distributing more than 26 pounds of methamphetamine over approximately nine months. Kapoi also possessed an unregistered AR-15 rifle without a serial number in connection with the offense.
U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake described Kapoi’s conduct as “injecting poison” into communities that lack the resources to deal with methamphetamine addictions, and emphasized his conduct was “not a victimless crime.”
“Methamphetamine remains the dominant drug of abuse in Hawaii, and this conviction and sentence demonstrate the price methamphetamine traffickers can pay for continuing to pursue this path to profit,” said Judy A. Philips, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii, whose office prosecuted this case.
Kapoi, who remains on pretrial release, was ordered to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons on January 4, 2022 to begin serving his sentence.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move.
HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 Special Agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
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