A Hilo man was sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for possession of over 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, federal authorities said.
Robert Kinoshita, 59, was sentenced Thursday by Senior U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor to 155 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
On Oct. 27, Kinoshita pleaded guilty to the drug charges. He has been detained since his arrest in August 2023.
The judge ordered his prison sentence to run consecutive to a state sentence in 2021 involving unlawful imprisonment of a minor and promoting a dangerous drug, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
“Robert Kinoshita was finally stopped in his tracks and held accountable for decades of drug dealing offenses and crimes that caused significant harm to others,” Clare E. Connors, U.S. Attorney in Hawaii, said in the release. “Justice is best achieved when we collaborate with our state and local partners, as we did in this case and will continue to do every day to protect our community.”
Justice Department officials said the federal offense occurred in August while Kinoshita was on state probation.
The Hilo man was caught by the Hawaii Police Department dealing methamphetamine to a confidential informant from his car in Hilo, federal authorities said. A search warrant of his vehicle recovered over 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine as well as more than $6,600 in cash and other drug distribution paraphernalia, they said.
At his sentencing Thursday, Judge Gillmor noted his long conviction record, which also includes assault, criminal contempt, abuse of a family member, terroristic threatening, theft, and driving under the influence. She said Kinoshita “has lived a life of crime for 41 years.”
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hawaii Police Department, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter led the prosecution.