90 days for meth charge

LIHU‘E — A Waimea man caught with methamphetamine in his car received a five-year probation and three-months jail Thursday in 5th Circuit Court.

Ken Nobuyuki Yamahiro, 47, pleaded no contest on July 23 to third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. A charge of second-degree methamphetamine trafficking was dropped in the plea deal.

Yamahiro’s attorney, June Ikemoto, said the defendant has made very bad choices in life, but that he is now facing his addiction, working with his treatment team and probation, in addition to the strong support of family who filled up two rows in court.

County Second Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Samuel Jajich agreed, also noting that Yamahiro did well with a two-year probation in his only prior case involving an abuse of family or household member charge. Jajich noted some concern, however, that the amount of methamphetamine recovered on the defendant indicated that he dealing and not only using.

Chief Judge Randal Valenciano said the positives for the defendant weighed in his favor for probation. He also shared the prosecutor’s concern for dealing and said there needed to be a consequence to counter any sense of reward against the risk. The judge ordered the 90-day sentence in addition to any time already served. He did not announce a decision on the motion to accept a deferred acceptance of the no contest plea.

Valenciano ordered Yamahiro to pay a $1,000 drug addiction assessment fee, which is $500 for each felony charge. He also ordered a $250 crime victim compensation fee.

Yamahiro has another case before Judge Kathleen Watanabe on two counts of first-degree methamphetamine, seven counts of second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and nine counts of unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. The case is set to be dismissed on Oct. 30 as part of the plea deal.