A 43-year-old Maui man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl for his role in a drug trafficking organization that operated for a decade between Maui, Hawaii island and the East Bay area of Northern California.
Siosifa Koka, aka “Sifa,” changed his plea Tuesday morning to guilty to one count of conspiracy before U.S. District Court Judge Derrick K. Watson. Koka is facing between 10 years and life in prison and up to a $10 million fine when he is sentenced by Watson at 9 a.m. Feb. 23.
Koka had entered a not-guilty plea to the federal charges on Sept. 11, 2019, and was released on an unsecured $50,000 bond. He remains free prior to his sentencing.
His attorney, Michael Green, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that Koka likely qualifies for a downward departure from federal sentencing guidelines and that the U.S. Department of Justice might need him to testify.
According to a third superseding, eight-count indictment filed Nov. 18, 2020, Koka conspired with Robert Darnell Beal, aka “Oso”; Pongitini Latu Fonua Jr., aka “Tis” or “Tin”; Vaitaki Manoa Jr., aka “Junior” or “June”; Bernadette Irene Salt; Tasmania Stan Milo, aka “Tas”; Feofaki Vakalahi, aka “Aki”; Kalisitiane Takivalu Oliveti, aka “Taki”; and Sione Olevao to possess and sell more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
The group was active from at least 2009 to 2019, according to federal court documents. In February, Oso was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in the drug trafficking operation.
In a plea agreement filed Tuesday, Koka admitted to selling methamphetamine to Olevao and “others on Maui” and Samuel Veatupu on Hawaii island. Koka would fly “pounds” of methamphetamine on Mokulele Airlines to Hawaii island to avoid close scrutiny of his luggage and carry-on bags, according to court documents.
Koka also used Sione Fehoko to move the illegal drugs between Maui and Hawaii island. Fehoko was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and reported to custody June 1. Veatupu was indicted June 21, 2012.
Veatupu pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and five years of probation on Nov. 4, 2013.
Koka got two to three pounds of methamphetamine from Fonua, who sourced it from the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2014, Koka started to receive methamphetamine from Oliveti.
On Nov. 26, 2014, Koka ordered Fehoko to deliver an ounce of methamphetamine to an associate in Kihei and used his mobile phone to convey the delivery details. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation were monitoring the communications. Officers with the Maui Police Department stopped Fehoko, arrested him for driving without a license and impounded his car.
A search warrant executed on Fehoko’s car turned up one ounce of methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Koka will cooperate with federal investigators.
The federal operation was run by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Maui Police Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with help from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Muehleck.
