Hawaiian Paradise Park Man, 41, Charged With Firearms and Drug Offenses
HAWAIIAN PARADISE PARK, A 41-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a firearms- and drug-related incident that occurred Sunday outside a residence along Old Volcano Road in Keaau, according to Hawaii Island police.
The Hawaii Police Department said Francis Lagat Piloton was taken into custody after his 48-year-old girlfriend reported that he threatened her and fired a shotgun during the incident. Officers responded to the scene and conducted an investigation based on the complaint.
Police reported recovering a loaded, semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun that had a defaced serial number. In addition to the firearm, officers said they also found a glass smoking pipe and a clear plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine.
Following the investigation, Piloton was formally charged with multiple offenses, including first-degree terroristic threatening, illegally carrying a loaded firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, altering the identification marks of a firearm, and possession of methamphetamine.
Authorities said the most serious charges — being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and illegally carrying a loaded firearm — are classified as Class B felonies under Hawaii law. Each of those charges carries a potential maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
During Piloton’s initial court appearance on Monday, Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach ordered that his bail remain set at $226,000. The case remains under review as legal proceedings continue.
