By COLIN M. STEWART By COLIN M. STEWART ADVERTISING Tribune-Herald staff writer An Orchidland Estates woman was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to possessing a pound of heroin. Catherine R. Kessaris, 58,
By COLIN M. STEWART
Tribune-Herald staff writer
An Orchidland Estates woman was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to possessing a pound of heroin.
Catherine R. Kessaris, 58, was arrested May 10 after Hilo Vice officers served a search warrant at her home and found 457.3 grams of heroin, digital scales, packaging materials, a .357-caliber revolver, a .22-caliber rifle, ammunition, an XT-800 electric stun gun and $5,200 in cash.
A court affidavit filed by Detective Steven Correi stated that Kessaris “claimed ownership of approximately two ounces of heroin seized by police and added that she purchases large quantities of heroin from the mainland and confessed to selling and using heroin here on the Big Island.”
On May 29, however, she pleaded not guilty to the charges of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. She was ordered held on $1 million bail and scheduled for a jury trial.
But on Thursday, her attorney, Deputy Public Defender Melody Parker, informed the Court that Kessaris had opted to accept a plea bargain offered by the state. Kessaris agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, for which she would serve a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as paying a fee and fine totaling $1,205. All other charges were dropped.
Prior to sentencing, Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara told Kessaris that a review of her history showed many run-ins with the law involving drugs.
“I don’t have your full history, but the impression I got is that you have a long-standing drug problem,” Hara said.
Kessaris agreed.
“Yes sir. I’ve struggled with it for a long time,” she said. “I was actually off for about 10 years. … But three years ago, I started to struggle again, and within one-and-a-half years I did succumb to it again.”
Deputy Prosecutor Jason Skier, in making his sentencing recommendation, said that he felt 10 years in prison was in line with the defendant’s crime.
“Given the amount of the contraband recovered, and the defendant’s history, I think that’s a fair sentence,” he said.
As part of the agreement with the prosecutor, Kessaris pleaded guilty to a lesser, Class B felony of promoting a dangerous drug in the second-degree, which covers as little as an eighth of an ounce of heroin or more. The Class A felony of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug of an ounce or more of heroin could have yielded up to a 20-year sentence.
Skier explained after the hearing that the bargain would save the state the expense of a jury trial, and ensure that Kessaris would serve 10 years without being eligible for probation.
During Kessaris’ arraignment in May, Deputy Prosecutor Rick Damerville described a number of prior offenses.
“The defendant has an extensive record in the continental United States with prior charges in Oregon, California, Idaho and Nevada,” he said. “She’s had convictions in 1999 in Idaho for controlled substances possession, in Nevada 1972 possession of marijuana, 1972 again for what appears to be sales and possession, 1972 for uttering a forged instrument, 1975 for sale of heroin and possession of marijuana, 1984 unlawful conversion of public money …”
Damerville added that Kessaris had faced 19 prior charges in Hawaii, and two prior convictions for promoting a dangerous drug in the first degree. She was convicted on Oahu in 1989 under the name Catherine Roberta Salstrom and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She was released in 1997.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
