Kaua‘i woman sentenced to over 12 years in prison for drug trafficking

A Kaua‘i woman who pleaded guilty to drug distribution and possession charges in U.S. District Court was handed a more than 12-year prison sentence followed by 5 years’ supervised release.

Faith Michelle Nelson, 52, appeared in court before Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi on Wednesday for her sentencing. She was initially arrested in the case on April 10, 2024.

According to court records, Nelson was part of a conspiracy that was acquiring controlled substances through the U.S. mail and was involved with the distribution of methamphetamine on Kaua‘i.

In total, Nelson was held responsible for over 18 pounds of methamphetamine. She pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“This individual has an extensive history of harming our community and putting countless families at risk,” said Kaua‘i Police Department’s Chief Kalani Ke in a news release Thursday.

Ke added that Nelson’s sentence holds her accountable for her actions and demonstrates that such destructive behavior will not be tolerated.

Nelson is one of 11 defendants charged in three separate indictments for crimes related to the operation of a trans-Pacific drug trafficking network that used to flood communities in Hawai‘i, Alaska, and beyond with deadly drugs.

Nine of the defendants have pleaded guilty, with one awaiting trial.

Nelson is the first defendant in a nine-defendant indictment to be sentenced. The overall investigation yielded seizures of more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine, several kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, eight firearms, ammunition, and over $150,000 in cash.

On April 30, 2025, in one of the related cases charged by separate indictment, Shawn Pauahi Santana was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to distributing methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said Nelson’s sentencing represents a significant step in bringing to justice the trans-Pacific criminal enterprise.

“We credit our tremendous law enforcement partners with helping to expose and dismantle this dangerous drug operation,” Sorenson said.

“This sentencing and related investigation mark a crucial moment in the ongoing fight to protect our citizens from the deadly drugs that plague our island communities,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “We are grateful for the tremendous partnerships across all levels of law enforcement in this joint effort, and we will continue to use every available resource to protect our communities and bring these trans-Pacific criminal enterprises to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu Police Departments, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.