California man sentenced in Hawaii methamphetamine, fentanyl conspiracy case

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A California man was sentenced to seven years for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Hawaii.

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After 87 months, Dylan Tai Dang, 55, of Garden Grove, California, must also serve five years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Court records said between April 2023 and April 2025, Dang and his co-conspirator, Bill Van Nguyen, sold and distributed over 34.5 pounds of methamphetamine and 11.5 pounds of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills to an undercover law enforcement employee in Hawaii.

The Department of Justice said the undercover operation involved over $100,000 in payments for drugs meant for Hawaii.

According to court records, Dang flew from California to Hawaii on two occasions to pick up more than $41,000 in cash from the undercover employee.

He acted as the front man and negotiated the transactions with the undercover officer, presenting drugs and using coded drug language, officials said.

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Dang laundered payments for other drug transactions through bank accounts of five shell corporations that he set up and controlled, officials said.

Separate from the conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney’s office said Dang met with the undercover employee to discuss Dang’s money laundering activities, and agreed to launder $25,000 in drug proceeds for a 5% fee. The funds were transferred to bank accounts tied to the shell corporations and returned to the undercover employee less his fee, according to investigators.

The DOJ said all nine shell corporations set up by Dang, who “facilitated the transfer of millions,” have been identified by the government.

The attorney’s office said Dang’s co-conspirator, Nguyen, pleaded guilty to distributing, attempting to distribute and conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison.

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