November 4, 2015

Judge Glenn Kim today sentenced Sidney Presnall to 10 years in prison and ordered him to serve a mandatory minimum of one year for selling crystal methamphetamine at Kailua Beach Park.

Deputy prosecutor Cheuk Fu Lui asked Kim for a four-year mandatory minimum. Lui noted Kailua’s significance as a neighborhood and a visitor attraction and told Kim that at least 10 Kailua residents had written to the prosecutor’s office and urged prison time.

Presnall was convicted of methamphetamine trafficking in the second degree on September 3. He was arrested after police initiated an undercover operation based on community complaints about a man selling drugs at Kailua Beach Park.

“This was a victory for vigilant residents,” Prosecuting Attorney Keith M. Kaneshiro said. “Thanks to them and the outstanding work by the Honolulu Police Department, Kailua is a safer place today.”