44 year-old Olomana Black of Puna was arrested and charged with distribution of methamphetamine and prohibited possession of four firearms.

On December 15, Area I VICE officers executed narcotics search warrants upon an Ainaloa residence and a vehicle recovering nearly 60 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms including, a .300 blackout AR style rifle, .44 caliber revolver, .22 caliber Ruger revolver, and a 9mm semiautomatic unserialized “ghost” gun.

Black made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court yesterday where his attorney’s request for supervised release was denied and his bail was maintained at $222,000.00. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 20, 2023.

As the Complaint alleges, Black is charged with ten 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 Third Degree (possess any amount of a dangerous drug, methamphetamine), four counts of Ownership or Possession of Firearm Prohibited, two counts of Ownership or Possession of Ammunition Prohibited, and Manufacturing, Purchasing, or Obtaining Firearm Parts to Assemble a Firearm Having No Serial Number. 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 Hawai’i County Police Department’s Area I VICE Section while the case is being prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Patrick Muñoz.

 

Photo credit: Hawai’i County Prosecuting Attorney