A 52-year-old Pahoa man who was in possession of almost 12 ounces of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice,” when he was arrested in June was convicted of four drug-related offenses.
In a deal with prosecutors, Dorbert K. Correa pleaded guilty Monday to second- and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving without a license.
Correa faces a 10-year prison sentence with a mandatory minimum of 40 months behind bars before he becomes eligible for parole. He was ordered by Hilo Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura to appear for sentencing at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 28.
Correa originally was charged with first-degree methamphetamine trafficking, a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but that law was repealed.
Correa, who was in custody in lieu of $15,100 bail, spoke very little during the hearing, limiting his answers to “yes” and “no.”
Asked by Nakamura about the change of plea, Myles Breiner, Correa’s Honolulu attorney, replied, “Your Honor, we’ll stipulate to a factual basis to this plea.”
Correa was on a prison furlough for a previous conviction for drug and firearms offenses when he was arrested June 20 after police executed a search warrant on his vehicle on Banyan Drive in Hilo.
According to court documents, a backpack was found containing 338 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a scale with meth on its platform and base, plus unused zip-lock packets.
Police estimated the street value of the drug to be $15,000.
Correa was one of two people ordered in January 2013 by Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara to permanently vacate a Kaumana Drive home described as a “drug house” in a civil nuisance abatement action brought by County Prosecutor Mitch Roth.
According to a court document, a girlfriend of Correa’s told police in May 2012 that Correa distributed “large quantities of crystal methamphetamine” and had “four long guns and one pistol.” The document stated that Correa at that time had 10 prior felony convictions and was legally ineligible to own or possess firearms.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
