Rayshaun Ducos, a 27-year-old resident of Honolulu, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms charges. Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson detailed the sentence handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright after Ducos pled guilty to the charges last December.
Ducos admitted to selling cocaine to a 25-year-old U.S. Marine. The Marine later died from an overdose. Following the Marine's death, Ducos attempted to obstruct an investigation by flushing cocaine down the toilet as law enforcement sought to execute a federal search warrant. When arrested, Ducos possessed two unregistered firearms — a loaded 9mm pistol and a 5.56mm AR pistol — along with cocaine. Investigators also found a large drum magazine, roughly 300 rounds of ammunition, over $30,000 in cash, and cocaine at his residence.
Judge Seabright evaluated Ducos's possession of "ghost guns," his obstruction of justice, and the resulting fatality from his drug distribution as aggravating factors necessitating a harsher sentence than outlined in the Sentencing Guidelines. "A young individual who died from the cocaine," influenced the court to impose an upward variance.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson emphasized the dangers of drug trafficking, stating, "This case demonstrates that drug trafficking is not a victimless crime. A young man is dead because of Mr. Ducos’s actions." Sorenson reinforced the commitment to aggressively prosecute armed drug traffickers, citing the significant danger they pose to the community.
The investigation was a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara D. Ayabe and Thomas Muehleck.