Oahu Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Weapons Possession

News Release, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Tuesday, December 12, 2023

HONOLULU – Cyrus Croskery, 29, of Oahu, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 25 years imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Judge Watson also imposed five years of supervised release consecutive to Croskery’s prison term. Croskery had been detained since his arrest and will begin serving his prison sentence immediately.

According to information provided to the Court, Croskery, working with others, was responsible for bringing approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine and 40,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl from California to Hawaii from June 2021 to February 2022. On January 31, 2022, Croskery shot an individual, who survived, for allegedly stealing six pounds of methamphetamine from Croskery. On February 3, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), working in conjunction with the Honolulu Police Department, arrested Croskery at a hotel in Waikiki. At the time of his arrest, Croskery possessed at his hotel room, home, and other locations nearly two pounds of methamphetamine, over 2,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, one privately manufactured pistol, three additional pistols, two privately manufactured short-barrel rifles, one additional rifle, two firearm suppressors, a bump-stock device, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Among the firearms recovered was the pistol that Croskery used in the January 31, 2022 drug-related shooting.

According to additional information provided to the Court, Croskery misrepresented fentanyl pills as oxycodone pills to drug purchasers. Some of his buyers included active-duty military members. As of 2023, 7 out of 10 pills recovered by the DEA nationally contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

“Our community continues to be plagued by the distribution of methamphetamine, and now increasingly, lethal doses of fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “This defendant trafficked both drugs, and did so while possessing multiple firearms, making his conduct even more dangerous.”

“The DEA, working alongside and in-conjunction with our local law enforcement partners, is committed to safeguarding the health and safety of our communities, and to keeping all Americans safe from illicit narcotics and its accompanying violence. Dangerous and highly addictive synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl are wreaking havoc on our communities and killing people at increasing rates. This case illustrates the collaborative work, alongside our local law enforcement partners, to target and hold drug traffickers accountable who drive addiction and threaten public safety,” said DEA Hawaii District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Victor Vazquez.

DEA, in partnership with the Honolulu Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to this conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys W. KeAupuni Akina and Michael F. Albanese prosecuted the case.

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