Puna man charged with threatening a female and discharging a shotgun in Keaʻau

Francis Piloton, Jr., a 41-year-old from Puna, was arrested and charged with firearms offenses and terroristic threatening for an incident on Jan. 4 in front of a residence on Old Volcano Road in Keaʻau, Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced Thursday.

Officers identified Piloton as the male suspect who threatened a female and discharged a shotgun, according to police reports.

Officers later recovered a loaded, semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun with a defaced serial  number, a glass smoking pipe, and a clear zip type baggie containing a white crystalline substance that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.  

Piloton made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday afternoon. The Court maintained his bail at $226,000 and ordered that he appear for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 9. 

Piloton is charged with first degree terroristic threatening, several gun charges and third degree promoting a dangerous drug, which means possessing any amount of  methamphetamine. 

The most serious offenses are class B felonies that carry a penalty of either a 10-year prison term or four years probation and up to 18 months in jail. The other offenses are class C felonies that carry a penalty of either a five-year prison term or four years probation and up to 12 months in jail.  

 Anyone having information to assist local law enforcement in this case should call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.