Jonaven Perkins-Sinapati, a 39-year-old resident of Waianae, Hawaii, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A.S. Park after Perkins-Sinapati pled guilty in May 2025 to charges related to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and illegal possession of ammunition as a convicted felon.
Perkins-Sinapati admitted that on May 23, 2024, while driving in Waianae and being pursued by law enforcement due to an outstanding warrant, he instructed a passenger in his vehicle to discard a bag out the window before continuing to drive. He was arrested shortly after at an intersection. Law enforcement recovered the discarded bag and searched both it and the vehicle, finding approximately 147 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded 9mm pistol without a serial number—commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”—67 rounds of ammunition, and $1,721 in cash.
Court documents indicate that these offenses occurred while Perkins-Sinapati was out on bail for a pending state firearms offense tied to an alleged incident involving the discharge of a firearm with a high-capacity magazine in Kaneohe in May 2024. Additional evidence presented during sentencing suggested that Perkins-Sinapati had allegedly fired a weapon from his vehicle’s sunroof on several occasions in public areas shortly before his arrest.
During sentencing, Judge Park addressed the risks associated with ghost guns: “Judge Park emphasized the danger of ghost guns, which are untraceable. She called Perkins-Sinapati’s pattern of discharging firearms ‘grandiose and reckless’ and his disposal of a ghost gun on the side of a public road ‘extremely dangerous.’ Judge Park also admonished Perkins-Sinapati for being ‘a contributing factor’ to the gun violence in Waianae, which she described as ‘wreaking havoc’ on that community.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation into this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Eucker and Sara D. Ayabe prosecuted the case for the District of Hawaii.
