Kauai man sentenced to felony gun and drug charges

Līhu‘e — Isaac Josiah, age 27, appeared before the Honorable Judge Randal Valenciano on Thursday April 5, 2012 for sentencing pursuant to his no contest plea to gun and weapons charges.  Josiah, represented by Warren Perry, had entered his no contest plea in January of this year to 4 felony counts of Place to Keep a Pistol or Revolver, Ownership or Possession Prohibited of any Firearm or Ammunition by a Person Bound Over to Circuit Court for Certain Crimes, Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree, Unlawful Use of Drug Paraphernalia and a single misdemeanor count of Place to Keep Ammunition. 

Josiah’s charges date back to February of 2010, when he was arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants.  While in custody, officers overheard him having a telephone conversation with someone and advising them to gather his “valuables” from his vehicle which was still parked in the Lihu’e Ace Hardware parking lot. 

Officers went to the parking lot, located the vehicle and observed what appeared to be a glass drug smoking pipe in plain view.  The officers secured the vehicle, obtained a search warrant and conducted a full search of the vehicle.  The subsequent search uncovered several items of contraband, including a 9mm handgun, live ammunition, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Deputy Prosecutor Melinda Mendes requested, and Judge Valenciano ordered, the firearm and ammunition recovered as a part of the investigation to be forfeited.

Judge Valenciano sentenced Josiah to credit for time served (which amounted to more than one year) and the maximum five years of probation through the HOPE Program. 

HOPE Probation (Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement) is the first and only one of its kind in the nation. It is a program where probationers are strictly monitored to prevent recidivism. If there are violations of conditions, probationers receive swift, predictable and immediate sanctions for each detected violation.