Hilo smoke shop owner accused of selling illegal marijuana products from business

A manager at a Hilo smoke shop was granted supervised release after illegal marijuana products and a small amount of cocaine were found at the business.

At 2 p.m. on Feb. 15, Hawai‘i Island police and agents from the State Narcotics Enforcement Division served a search warrant on the downtown retail shop. As a result, officers recovered 362 grams of dried processed marijuana, 1,109 grams of marijuana concentrate and a small amount of cocaine. They arrested the shop’s co-owner and manager, Karl Edward Stasik, 35, of Hilo.

The search warrant and arrest were the result of an anonymous tip to police which sparked a months-long investigation into the smoke shop and where multiple controlled purchases of illegal marijuana products were made from the business.

Stasik, who was being held on $217,000 bail, made an initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea on the following charges:

• Four counts of first-degree promotion of a harmful drug
• Two counts of second-degree promotion of a harmful drug
• Five counts of first-degree promotion of a detrimental drug
• Second-degree promotion of a detrimental drug
• Four counts of promoting a controlled substance on or near a public park
• Third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 5.

Police ask anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Officer Scotty Aloy of the Area I Vice Section at 808-961-2207, or via email at scotty.aloy@hawaiicounty.gov.