Honolulu man sentenced for trans-Pacific drug trafficking

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Kennard Hinano Boyd Kekona, 58, of Honolulu, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for his role in a trans-Pacific drug trafficking organization.

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U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi sentenced Kekona to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and carfentanil.

Carfentanil is a drug typically used for tranquilizing large animals, like elephants. Carfentanil is about 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the prosecutors in this case.

Kekona has been detained since his arrest in April 2024.

According to court records, Kekona was part of a conspiracy to obtain controlled substances through the U.S. mail and then distribute them on Oahu and elsewhere.

Kekona was held responsible for 2 kilograms of fentanyl and over 900 grams of methamphetamine.

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Kekona is one of eleven defendants charged for crimes related to this trafficking operation, ten of whom have pleaded guilty, and one more is awaiting trial.

This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from multiple local and federal agencies, including the Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui Police Departments, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the DEA, and the ATF.

Authorities seized more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine, several kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, eight firearms, ammunition, and more than $150,000 in cash, during their investigation.

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