Posted on: Saturday, June 25, 2005

Drug trafficker gets 20-year term

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A federal judge has sentenced a man to more than 20 years in prison after he was found guilty late last year of trafficking methamphetamine.

U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor on Thursday ordered Roy Frisbee to 250 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Gillmor also ordered that Frisbee's interest in $168,995, three automobiles, three motorcycles and a Boston Whaler boat be forfeited because they were obtained as a result of his drug activity.

Frisbee and co-defendant William Villa were convicted by a federal jury last December of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute pound-quantities of crystal methamphetamine, or ice. Frisbee also was convicted of possessing about 3 pounds of ice for distribution, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Villa was sentenced in March to 200 months in prison.

Frisbee received the harsher sentence because of his extensive criminal history. He has felony convictions in state court of robbery, terroristic threatening, kidnapping, escape and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said Frisbee, his brother Jack, and Villa transported between 300 and 600 pounds of ice from California to Hawai'i over two years. Agents with search warrants recovered more than 8 pounds of ice, about a half-million dollars, 10 cars, the boat, jewelry and 39 firearms, including assault weapons and sawed-off shotguns.

Roy Frisbee and Villa are two of 29 people who have been convicted of federal methamphetamine trafficking offenses as a result of an investigation from November 2002 and April 2003. Authorities used wiretaps to monitor drug activity that was concentrated on the North Shore and Windward O'ahu, Kubo said.

The cases were prosecuted by U.S. Assistant Attorney Lou Bracco.

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