HONOLULU – Malia Elena Arciero, 33, is staring down the barrel of a life sentence after a federal jury found her guilty today of flooding the streets with methamphetamine. The six-day trial in United States District Court revealed a cold-blooded operation involving significant quantities of the deadly drug.
Arciero was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of some quantity of methamphetamine. The charges stem from a 2013 investigation that exposed Arciero as a key player in a local drug network.
The evidence, presented by United States Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni’s office, painted a damning picture. On April 30, 2013, authorities discovered approximately one pound, four ounces of methamphetamine stashed inside Arciero’s vehicle. She was actively attempting to deliver a full pound of the drug to a waiting customer at the time of the bust.
But the April 30th seizure was just the tip of the iceberg. Prosecutors demonstrated that Arciero had been supplying the network for weeks. Earlier in the month, on April 20, she provided a methamphetamine sample which was then distributed by an accomplice. Just four days later, on April 24, she upped the ante, supplying two ounces of the drug which was immediately sold.
The investigation, spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations, meticulously pieced together the evidence, exposing Arciero’s central role in the distribution chain. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Kawahara successfully argued that Arciero wasn’t just a courier, but a critical source for the methamphetamine flooding Honolulu’s streets.
Arciero faces a mandatory minimum ten-year prison term for the first three counts, and up to 20 years on the fourth. However, the conspiracy charge carries the potential for a life sentence. Chief U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway will hand down the sentence on May 4, 2015. Expect a lengthy stay for Arciero – and a warning to others who think they can profit from poisoning a community.
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Key Facts
- State: Hawaii
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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