A Hilo resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses, according to a statement from United States Attorney Ken Sorenson. Eddie P. Poai, 50, entered his plea one day before his scheduled jury trial. Sentencing is set for April 20, 2026, before United States District Judge Shanlyn A. S. Park.
Poai’s guilty plea stems from three separate incidents on Hawaii Island between February 2021 and October 2022. Court records indicate that on February 11, 2021, Poai was found with over 90 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Hi-Point .45 caliber pistol with an extended magazine in his truck following a traffic stop conducted by the Hawaii Police Department.
On June 9, 2022, officers searched for Poai at a property in the Maku’u area after previous attempts to contact him had failed. Law enforcement recovered more than 600 grams of methamphetamine as well as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, cash amounting to several thousand dollars, and multiple weapons including a loaded Springfield .45 caliber pistol and an AR-15-style rifle.
The third incident occurred on October 25, 2022. Officers pursued Poai on foot at a property near Hawaiian Acres before arresting him. At the time of his arrest he had a loaded 9mm Taurus pistol and over 11 grams of methamphetamine in his backpack along with additional cash.
Poai faces up to life imprisonment if convicted on all counts; there is also a mandatory minimum sentence totaling twenty years in prison. He may also receive supervised release for life and face fines reaching $10 million.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Hawaii Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeannette Graviss and Jonathan Slack are handling the prosecution.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
