Puna Resident Charged with Attempted Distribution of 10 Pounds Meth; Firearms Seized

Jas Dewitt McQuade Cox, a 32-year-old Puna resident, was charged Jan. 23 after investigators recovered about 10 pounds of a crystal-like substance that presumptively tested positive for methamphetamine and seized multiple firearms from a Hawaiian Paradise Park residence. The Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney's Office announced the charges following a controlled delivery and subsequent search warrants executed by VICE-East officers.

VICE-East carried out a controlled delivery on Jan. 20 that led investigators to the property in Hawaiian Paradise Park. Search warrants executed at the residence yielded a Radical Arms RF-15-style rifle fitted with a silencer and magazines, an unserialized 9mm "ghost" pistol, 9mm and .308 ammunition, a digital scale, a glass smoking pipe and zip packets containing substances that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine. The quantity recovered is estimated at about 10 pounds, a volume prosecutors say indicates intent to distribute rather than personal use.

Cox appeared in Hilo District Court where a judge denied a request to reduce $360,000 bail. The court set a preliminary hearing for Jan. 27. Cox faces multiple counts, including first-degree attempted promoting of a dangerous drug, a class A felony, along with firearms-related charges. A deputy prosecutor with the Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is handling the case.

For Puna and Hawaiian Paradise Park residents, the arrest underscores ongoing public safety concerns tied to drug distribution and illegal weapons in rural subdivisions. Hawaiian Paradise Park, known locally as HPP, combines rural lifestyle with growing infrastructure needs; incidents involving large quantities of meth and unregistered firearms can strain law enforcement resources and community trust. Seizure of an RF-15-style rifle with a silencer and an unserialized ghost gun highlights the risks posed by weapons that evade serial-number tracing and complicate investigations.

The case follows broader patterns seen across the state where law enforcement units focused on vice and narcotics have pursued controlled deliveries and targeted searches to disrupt supply chains. For neighbors who witnessed increased activity or have information relevant to the investigation, contacting the Hawaiʻi Police Department or VICE-East can assist ongoing efforts and improve safety in Puna neighborhoods.

Next steps include the Jan. 27 preliminary hearing and continued review of evidence by prosecutors. The outcome will shape how prosecutors pursue class A felony charges and related firearms counts, and it will signal to Puna residents how local authorities are responding to drug distribution and gun-related threats in the community.