Meth charge nets 17-year sentence and deportation

A 38-year-old Mexican national, who was arrested Dec. 17 on Maui, was sentenced to 171⁄2 years in federal prison for his role in a plan to distribute meth­am­pheta­mine on Maui, the U.S. Attorney’s office for Hawaii announced Wednesday.

Chief District Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Ruben Settle on Monday in federal court in Hono­lulu.

Settle pleaded guilty March 12 to possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth­am­pheta­mine.

Settle recruited others to help in distributing meth­am­pheta­mine on Maui, including about 700 grams of the drug seized from him by Maui police Dec. 17, U.S. Attorney Flor­ence Naka­kuni said the evidence presented in court showed.

The court found at the sentencing hearing that Settle does not have legal authority to be in the United States, posed a threat to public safety due to the large amount of meth­am­pheta­mine and has a long criminal record including prior drug convictions.

Settle will be deported to Mexico for the second time after completing his sentence. Maui police said Settle was a Los Angeles resident.