Authorities say a controlled delivery to a Hawaiian Paradise Park address last Tuesday ended with a major meth bust, a weapons haul and one Puna man in jail on high bail.
According to prosecutors, a parcel brought to the home as part of the operation was found to contain more than 10 pounds of a crystal-like substance that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine. A follow-up search of the property allegedly turned up multiple firearms, ammunition and drug-distribution equipment.
The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Jas Dewitt McQuade Cox, was arrested and remained in custody with bail set at $360,000. Court records show a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.
As reported by Big Island Now, Hawai‘i Police Department VICE-East officers carried out the controlled delivery, then obtained search warrants for the Hawaiian Paradise Park residence. Prosecutors say the intercepted parcel originally contained the crystal-like material that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine. Cox later made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court, where a request to cut his bail was denied.
Weapons And Evidence Seized During The Search
Search warrants turned up a Radical Arms RF-15 rifle fitted with a cylindrical silencer and two magazines, a black-and-silver 9mm semiautomatic handgun, an unserialized "ghost" pistol and both 9mm and .308 ammunition, according to Big Island Video News.
Officers also seized an operable digital scale, two zip packets and a glass smoking pipe. Prosecutors say the smaller packets and the pipe tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine. The prosecutor's release, as summarized in the report, stressed that "the charges are merely allegations, and the Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
Charges, Bail And Court Schedule
Court documents indicate Cox faces two counts of Attempted Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree and two counts of Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree, along with several counts tied to prohibited possession of firearms, a silencer and ammunition, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The court kept bail at $360,000 after denying Cox's bid for a reduction and ordered him to return for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Elyssa Correia Keltner is listed as handling the case.
What The Charges Carry
Attempted Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree is a Class A felony that carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, prosecutors noted in their release, according to Big Island Now. Prosecutors also pointed out that convictions tied to large-scale trafficking can trigger extended sentencing considerations under state law.
How This Fits Into A Wider Trend
Large meth seizures are not new on the Big Island. The Hawai‘i Police Department announced a separate seizure of more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine in mid-2025, underscoring ongoing concerns about trafficking networks in the islands, according to a department release. That case and others in recent years show law enforcement continuing to focus on shipments and local distribution.
Prosecutors said Cox remained in custody at the Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center pending further proceedings and again emphasized that the charges are allegations, not a conviction, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The VICE-East Section of the Hawai‘i Police Department led the narcotics investigation, and the case is moving through the district court process.
