Press Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Hawaii
PJKK Federal Building (808) 541-2850
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 6-100 FAX (808) 541-2958
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
For Immediate Release
Contact: Elliot Enoki
April 11, 2008
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Ed Kubo, United States Attorney for Hawaii, announced today that Nathaniel Russell (also known as "Bobo"), age 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright to 240 months (20 years) imprisonment. Russell had previously pled guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Russell was the last of ten defendants sentenced in this case.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Maui County Police Department (MCPD) during the period of January - July 2005. Russell was the head of an extensive methamphetamine distribution operation on Maui, which included his former wife, Pamela Mahealani Newton, and other Maui residents John Corniel, Jr., Cyrinah L. Aken (also known as "Cyrinah L. Solomon"), Charles R.K. Farren, Roger Manu Bates, and Reed Kaleookalani Aken, Sr.
Russell obtained his methamphetamine from Las Vegas, Nevada, through Leandro Gomez, III, Timothy James Sullivan and Gilbert Gomez, all of whom were from the Las Vegas area.
This investigation revealed that Leandro Gomez, with the help of Sullivan and Gilbert Gomez, had sent pound quantities of methamphetamine to Russell and others on Maui via parcel shipments and couriers, with Russell (assisted by Corniel and Newton) then sending the money to Leandro Gomez by the same means. Bates and Farren were Russell's primary methamphetamine distributors on Maui while Cyrinah Aken and Corniel handled the money for Russell. Additionally, Sullivan and Cyrinah Aken were also drug and money couriers.
Investigators also were alerted to Reed Aken’s pending travel from Maui to Las Vegas on or about Memorial Day weekend in May 2005 on Russell's behalf for the purpose of acquiring up to seven pounds of methamphetamine from Leandro Gomez. On his return trip back to Maui, Reed Aken was stopped by police at the Los Angeles International Airport and found to be body-carrying about two pounds of methamphetamine under the clothes he was wearing. In addition, in early June 2005, Leandro Gomez had mailed to Maui via UPS the remaining approximately five pounds of methamphetamine which he owed to Russell. Law enforcement personnel were able to identify the shipment in Las Vegas and seize it.
District Judge Seabright had previously sentenced the other nine defendants as follows:
Leandro Gomez: 284 months (27.7 years) imprisonment
Pamela Newton: 120 months (10 years) imprisonment
John Corniel: 168 months (14 years) imprisonment
Cyrinah Aken: 87 months (7.25 years) imprisonment
Charles Farren: 126 months (10.5 years) imprisonment
Roger Bates: 198 months 16.5 years) imprisonment
Timothy Sullivan: 82 months (6.8 years) imprisonment
Gilbert Gomez: 96 months (8 years) imprisonment
Reed Aken: 48 months (4 years) imprisonment
U.S. Attorney Kubo complimented DEA and MCPD for their outstanding investigation of this case. “This case has made a significant inroad into methamphetamine trafficking on the Island of Maui, and as a result, Maui residents are safer,” said Kubo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. Kawahara prosecuted this case.
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