LIHUE — A Kauai woman was indicted in federal court Wednesday on drug and weapons charges that could potentially land her in jail for life.
Charges against Starsha Silva, 32, stem from an April 9 incident when she was allegedly caught with a small amount of methamphetamine and a Glock .40 caliber pistol, according to documents filed by federal prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Honolulu.
Silva is facing four felony counts, all of which carry mandatory minimum sentences. The most serious charge is for attempted possession of 50 grams or more of meth, a crime punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
She is also looking at at least five years in jail for two other counts: possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Five grams of meth on Kauai sells for about $300.
Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint in April, about two weeks after the date she was allegedly found with the pistol and the drugs, but that document, along with an arrest warrant issued the same day, remain sealed by the court.
Some clues about the events leading to the arrest can be found in the filings of a separate case federal prosecutors brought against Silva last year. In February 2018, Silva pleaded guilty to being an “unlawful user” of methamphetamine while possessing a loaded .22 caliber rifle “with a removed and obliterated serial number.”
She was given five years probation and released from custody, but Silva found herself in legal trouble once again, less than a year later. According to a written statement by her probation officer, Mark Nugent, Silva was living with her children and their father in Kekaha and worked for a rental car company for a while before getting laid off.
“Shortly thereafter, Ms. Silva was admitted to the hospital for chest pains, and she was scheduled for heart surgery in January,” Nugent wrote. “The day before her surgery, Ms. Silva was informed that her medical insurance had been terminated, and her surgery was postponed.”
The probation officer’s statement goes on to detail numerous instances in which Silva allegedly violated the terms of her supervised release, either admitting to using meth or failing to show up for scheduled drug tests.
“In summary, Ms. Silva continues to struggle with substance abuse and unstable housing,” Nugent wrote. “It is noted that Ms. Silva is being treated for her heart condition, and she is reportedly in need of heart surgery. However, her continued abuse of methamphetamine indicates that she has no regard for her own health.”
Even if acquitted on the most recent charges against her, Silva could still end up spending jail time for the crimes she was originally given probation for.
In a motion asking the court to postpone a hearing on Silva’s probation violations, U.S. District Attorney Marshall Silverberg wrote, “It appears the defendant grossly violated the trust given to her by the government and the court and she should be resentenced as if she were never given a sentence of probation.”
•••
Caleb Loehrer, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0441 or cloehrer@thegardenisland.com.
