Honolulu Man Convicted in Meth Distribution Case

Honolulu man convicted in meth distribution ring.

A federal jury found Gilbert Lee Medina, 52, of Honolulu, guilty on Friday, Dec. 18, of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as unlawfully possessing a firearm.

The conviction came after an eight-day trial in the United States District Court in Honolulu.

The jury also found Medina guilty of attempting to enter a secure area of the Honolulu International Airport on May 29, 2013, by fraud or false pretenses.

Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaiʻi, said that according to the evidence presented at trial, Medina was at the center of a large scale methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that spanned at least 12 months from April 2012 to April 2013, and “was responsible for well over 20 pounds of methamphetamine being brought from California to Hawaiʻi.”

According to the US Department of Justice, Medina was convicted of receiving the methamphetamine from several different sources and was responsible for distributing it to other members of the conspiracy in Hawaiʻi.

Justice officials say evidence presented at trial also established that Medina unlawfully possessed a firearm on his boat docked at the Ala Wai harbor. Medina had prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Additionally, the evidence established that Medina attempted to use a false identification at the Honolulu International Airport in an effort to flee from Hawaiʻi in May 2013.

Because of his prior criminal record, Medina faces a possible sentence of life in prison on the meth trafficking charge when he is sentenced on March 31, 2016. The maximum penalty for the firearm offense is up to ten years in prison, while the unlawful entry offense is a misdemeanor.