Detroit Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Drug Trafficking and Discharging Firearm at Drug Deal

News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Monday, October 21, 2024

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Gabriel Antone Eberhardt, 42, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jill A. Otake to 30 years in federal prison—including 12 years for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine and a consecutive 18 years for discharging a firearm in connection with the distribution of heroin—as well as 5 years of supervised release. The court also ordered that Eberhardt forfeit his interests in $250,000 in drug proceeds, multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a vehicle. Additional firearms and ammunition were administratively forfeited by the government.

According to court records, from October 2019 to June 30, 2021, Eberhardt, a/k/a “Stacks,” co-led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Honolulu that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. Eberhardt’s DTO obtained the drugs from suppliers in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, who mailed the drugs to Honolulu. The DTO distributed the fentanyl—a potent synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin—in mixtures with heroin and in counterfeit oxycodone tablets. In connection with a heroin distribution on October 21, 2019, Eberhardt admitted he fired several shots from a semi-automatic pistol at a person accompanying his drug customer. One of the rounds struck the victim’s torso, requiring medical attention. The victim survived the shooting.

During an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), agents made dozens of controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine from the conspirators, and executed 15 search warrants on residences, rental storage units, and parcels. As a result of the controlled purchases and warrants, law enforcement agents seized 6.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 6.4 kilograms of heroin, 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, seven firearms, including assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a vehicle, and more than $250,000 in cash drug proceeds. 

In addition to Eberhardt, the following conspirators were prosecuted in the District of Hawaii:

Jared Northern, a/k/a “White Boy Jay,” a/k/a “Gage,” 25, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on May 15, 2024, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;

Zakiyyah Mareus, a/k/a “Kai,” 27, of Miami Gardens, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on August 8, 2024, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;

Isaiah Marks, a/k/a “Seh,” 25, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on January 18, 2023, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release;

Tishanah Iwalani Kaio-Barrozo, 33, of Honolulu, pled guilty to distribution of controlled substances, and on June 7, 2022, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;

Michael Garrett, a/k/a “Sideburns,” a/k/a “Burns,” 41, of Romulus, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on March 28, 2024, was sentenced to three months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;

Jennifer Ashcraft, a/k/a “Jessie,” a/k/a “Jess,” 33, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on November 22, 2024;

Martzes Junior, a/k/a “Green,” 43, of Southfield, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime and is scheduled for sentencing on November 26, 2024;

Lynden David Lightburn, a/k/a “Soulja,” 51, of Los Angeles, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on December 6, 2024; 

Jason Darnell Smith, a/k/a “Famous,” a/k/a “Sweets,” 41, of Detroit, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on December 9, 2024; and

Robert Adams, a/k/a “Tre,” a/k/a “Tre Block,” a/k/a “Block,” a/k/a “TBlock,” a/k/a “Ray Smith,” 37, of Philadelphia, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on February 26, 2025. 

“Increasingly, the influx of illegal, deadly narcotics through transnational distribution operations is accompanied by gun violence, which has exponentially harmful consequences for our community,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “This large-scale prosecution reflects the highest level of cooperation among multiple federal and local law enforcement entities, and today’s sentence affirms that there will be accountability for those who profit from causing such harm in our state.”

“Today’s sentencing represents years of collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies to bring down one of Hawaii’s most dangerous drug operations,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “This case serves as a warning that we will use every resource available to make our communities safer by dismantling their operations and bringing their members to justice.”

“Gabriel Eberhardt, a leader of a greed-driven drug trafficking organization, will be off our streets and behind bars for a very long time,” said DEA Los Angeles Field Division Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis. “I want to thank DEA investigators and all state and local law enforcement partners, who worked tirelessly and with urgency to bring these criminals to justice.  However, our job here is not complete. We will continue to investigate, pursue and take apart these operations.”  

“Mr. Eberhardt’s egregious actions were exacerbated by his using a firearm to shoot a person in furtherance of his drug trafficking,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “When search warrants were executed for this operation, seven firearms were recovered, including semiautomatic rifles and handguns, which further shows the dangers to the community posed by Mr. Eberhardt and his co-conspirators. This significant sentence was clearly warranted.”

“Sending illegal drugs in the mail harms our communities and endangers postal workers, said USPIS Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “Postal inspectors will not allow the U.S. Mail to be misused to facilitate drug trafficking activities. I want to express my gratitude to our law enforcement partners for their teamwork to disrupt and dismantle this dangerous drug trafficking organization.”

“The success of this investigation is directly attributable to multi-agency cooperation and the shared commitment to making Honolulu safer for our residents and visitors,” said HPD Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan. “The Honolulu Police Department will continue to work closely with our Federal partners to identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating across Oahu.”

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The case was investigated by FBI, DEA, ATF, USPIS, and HPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is prosecuting the case.