Big Island drug case nets 16-year sentence

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 36-year-old man who prosecutors said headed a major cocaine and ice ring on the Big Island was sentenced yesterday to more than 16 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor sentenced Marvin Postadan to 200 months in federal prison after he was found guilty of three counts of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Postadan was the target of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation known as Shave Ice, which involved federal, state and county law enforcement agencies.

Postadan was one of about 50 people arrested in a series of raids in October 2003. The operation was intended to reduce the flow of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, and cocaine on the Big Island and O'ahu.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said Postadan led a drug distribution organization on the Big Island that smuggled ice and cocaine from California to Hawai'i. Kubo said Postadan's drug ring brought in at least 50 pounds of ice and 110 pounds of cocaine during a one-year period alone and was responsible for about one-third of the ice on the Big Island.

Postadan's indictment accused him of distributing the drugs from 1999 to 2003.

Kubo said Postadan smuggled the drugs through cargo shipments, the U.S. mail and private carriers, such as UPS and FedEx. Kubo had said earlier that Postadan's group even hollowed out a hydraulic lift, stuffed it with drugs and money and shipped it back and forth between Hawai'i and a Mainland supplier.

Kubo said his office will continue to hunt down drug traffickers.

"Those who distribute ice and other drugs in our state need to understand that we will hunt them down and send them to federal prison for long sentences," he said.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Thomas.

Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.