Federal agents say they have cracked a years-long fireworks pipeline into the Big Island, charging two East Hawaii men they allege helped flood local neighborhoods with tons of illegal pyrotechnics. Undercover work and August search warrants allegedly turned up shipping containers, pallets of fireworks and residential stashes that investigators say added up to more than 18.5 tons. The defendants, 52-year-old Darrel Goo of Keaau and 45-year-old Cy Tamura of Hilo, were released on $50,000 bail and remain presumed innocent as the case moves ahead.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Hawaii, both men were hit with a criminal complaint that charges conspiracy, transporting fireworks into Hawaii and engaging in the business of transporting, distributing and storing explosive materials. Prosecutors say Goo also faces separate counts for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and that the alleged operation ran from about 2016 through August 2025.
How Investigators Say The Ring Worked
Court filings on DocumentCloud outline a scheme that investigators say was designed to keep mainland suppliers and Hawaii shipments off the radar. The complaint alleges Goo used a fictitious name and Alaska mailing addresses to place bulk orders with a mainland vendor while Tamura handled the shipping side, reportedly labeling containers as horticultural goods to slide past scrutiny. Prosecutors say the pair focused on “overload” fireworks, which look like consumer stock but are packed with extra explosive material, and that agents secretly intercepted roughly two shipping containers before the cargo ever reached Hilo.
Seizures, Guns And Cash
Search warrants executed in August 2025 uncovered what investigators described as industrial-scale stockpiles of fireworks, along with weapons and cash, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. That reporting and the complaint say agents found more than 33 pallets of fireworks at one property and three pallets at another, plus multiple handguns, an unserialized 9 mm “ghost” gun, about 2,700 rounds of ammunition and dozens of M-type explosive devices.
Legal Outlook
Prosecutors say the stakes are high if the case ends in convictions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says each count could carry up to 10 years in prison and fines of as much as $250,000, while Goo could face an additional potential 15-year term tied to the firearms allegations. Federal officials say the investigation was led by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, with help from state law-enforcement partners.
Why The Case Matters Locally
For years, Hawaii residents have complained that the illegal fireworks problem seems to grow louder every holiday, even as lawmakers promise crackdowns. Local probes and watchdog reporting have repeatedly traced contraband back to mainland sellers and highlighted enforcement gaps, as detailed by Honolulu Civil Beat. In the wake of deadly fireworks-related explosions, legislators moved to toughen statutes and boost enforcement, a shift covered by the Associated Press.
Goo and Tamura are scheduled to appear in federal court Monday at 10:30 a.m. for a preliminary hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports. Prosecutors are expected to lay out more details from the undercover operation. Federal authorities say the arrests are part of a broader push to choke off shipments of professional-grade pyrotechnics into Hawaii and to dial down the very real risks those explosives pose in neighborhoods across the islands.
