HONOLULU MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN TRANS-PACIFIC DRUG TRAFFICKING OPERATION INVOLVING METHAMPHETAMINE, FENTANYL AND CARFENTANIL

HONOLULU — Kennard Hinano Boyd Kekona, 58, of Honolulu, Hawaii, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a trans-Pacific drug trafficking organization that moved methamphetamine, fentanyl, and carfentanil through the U.S. mail and distributed controlled substances across Oahu and other locations.

Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi sentenced Kekona to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and carfentanil, along with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carfentanil.

Kekona has remained in federal custody since his arrest in April 2024.

According to federal court records, Kekona was part of a trafficking conspiracy that acquired controlled substances through the U.S. mail and distributed them throughout Oahu and elsewhere. Federal authorities held him responsible for approximately two kilograms of fentanyl and more than 900 grams of methamphetamine.

The case also involved carfentanil, an extremely potent synthetic opioid used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals. Federal authorities noted that carfentanil is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Fentanyl itself can be lethal at quantities near the two-milligram range depending on the method of administration and other factors.

The inclusion of carfentanil in the trafficking operation significantly raised the danger surrounding the network. Substances of that potency create a serious risk not only to users, but also to anyone who unknowingly encounters improperly handled narcotics within a trafficking chain.

Kekona is one of 11 defendants charged across three separate indictments connected to the operation of the trans-Pacific drug trafficking network. Ten defendants have pleaded guilty, while one defendant remains awaiting trial.

The federal investigation resulted in the seizure of more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine, several kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, eight firearms, ammunition, and more than $150,000 in cash.

Kekona became the seventh of the 11 defendants to receive a sentence.

Shawn Pauahi Santana was sentenced on April 30, 2025, to 240 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine.

Faith Michelle Nelson was sentenced on December 10, 2025, to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Francis Anthony Abergas, Jr. was sentenced on December 16, 2025, to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm and ammunition after having previously been convicted of a felony.

Trish Leila Henderson was sentenced on January 8, 2026, to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Travis Kalani Hong-Ah Nee was sentenced on January 12, 2026, to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute carfentanil, possession with intent to distribute carfentanil, and possession of ammunition after having previously been convicted of a felony.

Leonard Gutierrez was sentenced on January 29, 2026, to 340 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and carfentanil, nine counts of distributing methamphetamine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The sentences imposed across the related cases show the scale of the organization and the seriousness of the conduct uncovered during the investigation. The network was tied to large quantities of methamphetamine, multiple synthetic opioids, firearms, ammunition, and substantial amounts of cash.

The use of the U.S. mail to acquire controlled substances also gave the organization a distribution method capable of moving narcotics across long distances without relying solely on conventional street-level transportation.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, Kauai Police Department, Maui Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret C. Nammar is prosecuting the case.

United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced the sentence.

The prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.

The Homeland Security Task Force is a multi-agency initiative focused on criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, human smuggling operations, trafficking networks, and other organized criminal activity operating inside the United States and across international borders.

HSTF Hawaii includes personnel from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Diplomatic Security Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii is leading the prosecution.

Kekona’s 10-year sentence adds another substantial federal prison term to a case that exposed a trafficking organization capable of moving large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and carfentanil while also maintaining access to firearms and significant cash proceeds.

With ten defendants having pleaded guilty and one still awaiting trial, the related federal cases have resulted in multiple substantial prison sentences.

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