45-year-old arrested with 1.75 pounds of cocaine at public park in Hilo

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 3:35 p.m. on July 29, 2026.

Michael Bratt, a 45-year-old resident of Hilo, was charged on July 25 with multiple drug offenses that stemmed from an arrest at a public park, Hawaiʻi Island police said Wednesday in a news release.

Detectives with the Vice Division conducted an operation with a search warrant for a Nissan SUV at Malama Park in Hilo on July 24, recovering more than 86 grams of cocaine in Bratt’s vehicle, police said.

A second search warrant was executed on a Panda Express reusable bag recovered at the park. It led to the seizure of an additional 711 grams of cocaine. A total of 1.75 pounds of cocaine was recovered with a street value of $79,000, police said.

According to police reports, detectives also recovered in excess of 175 clean and unused zip packets, an operable digital scale, and a spoon containing cocaine residue.

Bratt was charged with two counts of first-degree attempted promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, and promoting a controlled substance in a public park, according to a press relase from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.

He made his initial appearance in South Hilo District Court on Monday. His request for supervised release was denied and his bail was set and maintained at $500,000.

Police ask anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Det. Keith Simeona of the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s Vice Division at 808-961-2340 or via email at Keith.Simeona@hawaiipolice.gov.

The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney urges anyone with information concerning illegal narcotics distribution to call the Hawai‘i Police Department Vice Section in East Hawai‘i at (808) 934-8423, West Hawai‘i at (808) 329-0423, or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.