Former Kauai County Councilman Arthur Brun will spend 20 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole for 10 charges related to his role as head of a drug trafficking ring.

U.S. Judge Derrick Watson sentenced Brun Wednesday to 20 years on nine charges including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, assaulting a law enforcement officer, evidence tampering and witness tampering.

The judge also sentenced him to five years for conspiracy to defraud the United States, and to five years of supervised release for six charges and three years of supervised release for four counts. The sentences will all run together.

Watson rejected on March 24 the parties’ plea agreement as to a term of 15 years’ imprisonment.

Brun has been held at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu and is remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

On Nov. 10, 2021, Brun pleaded guilty to leading a drug-trafficking organization while serving on the county council.

Brun and 11 others were arrested in 2020.