Dakota Ianniello, 55, formerly of Hanapepe, Kauai, was indicted on July 23 after being arrested in the Western District of Wisconsin on July 21 for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced on July 24.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Ianniello’s vehicle on May 23, 2025, seizing approximately 81.5 grams of fentanyl. Following her arrest this July, Ianniello provided a statement to agents admitting the seized fentanyl was hers and that she knew it was fentanyl and distributed it to others.
If convicted, Ianniello faces at least five years and up to forty years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $5 million and a term of supervised release of at least four years. The charge is an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on statutory sentencing factors and advisory guidelines.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case with assistance from the Kauai Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” The U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii serves all Hawaiian Islands and its approximately 1.5 million residents through federal criminal investigations and prosecutions as well as civil litigation from its main office in Honolulu; it employs about 23 lawyers and 40 staff members, according to its official website.