Hilo man sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted distribution of fentanyl

A man from Hilo was sentenced to a 10-year prison term after pleading guilty in May to attempted distribution of fentanyl.

Paul Alisa, 42, appeared in Hilo Circuit Court on Aug. 5 for sentencing. The judge revoked Alisa’s felony probation and sentenced him to concurrent prison terms for the charge of second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, which is a class B felony, according to a press release from the Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.

The charge stems from a May 26, 2024, incident, after Hawai‘i Island police VICE officers executed a narcotics search warrant upon a Honda Accord that Alisa was operating. Police recovered approximately 0.5 grams of fentanyl, a digital scale, and over 50 clean/unused zip packets in various sizes.

After being advised of his rights, Alisa admitted that he buys 0.5 grams of fentanyl and sells “points” (0.1 grams) of fentanyl at a time. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 2mg or 0.02 grams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose for one adult.

The felony charge carries a penalty of either a 10-year prison term or four years probation and up to 18 months in jail.