31 year-old Marisa Elise Leialoha Garcia of Hilo was arrested and charged for attempted distribution of methamphetamine.  Garcia was also arrested on an unrelated District Court warrant.

On September 27, VICE officers executed narcotics search warrants on both a vehicle and residence
in Hilo and recovered over 46 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

As the Complaint alleges, Garcia was charged with six offenses including Promoting a Dangerous
Drug in the First Degree (possess one ounce or more of methamphetamine), Attempted Promoting a
Dangerous Drug in the First Degree (attempt to distribute one-eighth ounce or more of
methamphetamine), Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Second Degree (possess one-eighth ounce or
more of methamphetamine), Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree (possess any dangerous drug, methamphetamine), Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree (possess any dangerous drug,oxycodone), and Prohibited Acts Related to Drug Paraphernalia. The most serious charges, Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree and Attempted Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree are both class A felony offenses punishable by either a twenty-year prison term or ten years probation and up to two years in jail.

The charges are merely allegations and the Defendant is presumed innocent until
proven guilty.

The felony drug investigation was led by the Hawaiʻi County Police Department’s Area I VICE Section.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Elyssa Correia Keltner.

 

Photo credit: Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney