Two Pāhoa men were indicted by a Honolulu grand jury last week on three felony charges stemming from a marijuana cultivation case at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

Andre K. Victor, 23, and Mano A. White, 20, were charged with conspiring to cultivate/distribute marijuana, possession/cultivation of marijuana and intent to distribute marijuana. They will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Honolulu.

The case stems from an incident in December 2009 when park rangers arrested the two as they attempted to plant 47 marijuana plants in the forest along Mauna Loa Road. The men were released, but investigation results presented to the U.S. Attorney's Office led to their indictment and arrest.

Mauna Loa Road is frequently used by local residents and visitors. The area where rangers apprehended Victor and White is designated as a Special Ecological Area and is managed to protect and restore Hawai'i's native plants and animals.