2 arrested in federal drug, West Oahu road rage case

Federal agents arrested two men last week and seized guns and methamphetamine in connection with an April 9 road rage incident and an ongoing investigation into an alleged drug trafficking organization being run out of homes and businesses on the Waianae Coast.

Sheysten James Ikaika Joseph, 22, was arrested by a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent on suspicion of being a felon in possession of ammunition in connection with an April 9 road rage incident near Ko Olina where Joseph was the passenger in a car driven by Seth Zachary Owens, 22, who allegedly pointed a ghost gun at a woman and her three children.

Owens was indicted May 25 on suspicion of being a felon in possession of ammunition and is at the Federal Detention Center, Honolulu, before his trial starts at 9 a.m. July 24 before U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi.

Arrested with Joseph was Brenon Kilinoe Joseph Nash, 32.

Nash is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm after federal agents allegedly found two guns, cannabis and a pound of methamphetamine in a car registered to Nash.

“During questioning, investigators asked Brenon Nash why he had been in possession of two firearms, to which he responded in substance that he felt it was dangerous in the Waianae area, that many individuals carried firearms, and that he had them for protection in order to defend himself, his family, and his drug trafficking activities, to prevent him from being robbed due to his possession of drugs and drug proceeds,” according to an affidavit by a DEA agent.

Nicole K. Nishida, a DEA spokesperson, declined comment.

The pair made their initial appearances in federal court Monday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter. A hearing on the government’s motion to detain them before trial is set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Reber Porter’s court.

Both Joseph and Nash are on state probation in connection with a Nov. 20, 2019, fight that led to the deadly shooting of 39-year-old Micaiah McCullah, a father of seven children and a youth football coach, who was killed during the brawl.

They were originally charged with second-­degree attempted murder for allegedly firing handguns at another man during the early-­evening scrap at the park on Manuku Street.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese, who is prosecuting the case for the government, declined comment. Joseph’s attorney. Rustam A. Barbee, did not immediately reply to a Star-Advertiser request for comment. Nash’s attorney, Neal J. Kugiya, declined comment.

The DEA and Homeland Security Investigations are working with Honolulu police on an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking organization that resulted in the execution of search warrants in April at the home and affiliated businesses of a Waianae family that is one of the targets of the investigation.

At a community meeting on crime in Maili on Wednesday, Sabrina Grace-Dereis, who claimed she was a former federal informant, gave binders to HPD Narcotics/Vice Major Mike Lambert, City Council member Andria Tupola and Hono­lulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm that contained pictures of the man whose property was searched by police and federal agents, his alleged personal affiliations and a business that is allegedly used to launder drug money.

On May 30, DEA agents got an arrest warrant for Joseph in connection with the Ko Olina road rage incident. Two days later, on Thursday, DEA agents and Honolulu Police Department officers conducted an operation in Waianae to arrest Joseph.

During the course of the operation, a car known to be associated with Joseph was seen driving through Makaha. Agents and officers followed the car to figure out whether Joseph was in it.

Law enforcement officers followed the car until it parked in the driveway of a residence. They identified Joseph when he stepped out of the front passenger compartment of the vehicle. Moments later, officers saw Joseph return to the front passenger seat of the vehicle.

Officers positioned their vehicles in a manner that blocked the vehicle from driving away. Officers ordered Joseph to get out of the car and placed him under arrest.

While Joseph was getting out of the car, officers said they saw Brenon Nash in the driver’s seat and a scale with cannabis on the center console. During the search of the vehicle, officers said they discovered a small bag containing two firearms under the driver’s seat, where Nash had been seated moments earlier.

The first was a Magnum Research Inc. semi-automatic handgun.

The handgun bore an inscription that read, “Made in Israel.” The second firearm was a Glock-style, privately manufactured handgun, also known as a “ghost gun.” Both firearms contained magazines loaded with ammunition.

The car was registered to Nash, and Nash reportedly told agents the bag with the guns belonged to him.

On May 17, Joseph was convicted of first-degree assault and place to keep pistol or revolver, and sentenced to five years of probation on each count. Nash is also on five years of probation after he was convicted in the same state case of attempted first-degree assault and place to keep pistol or revolver.

In that case, Nash and Joseph were part of a group of 10 to 20 men who came to the park for a prearranged fight at the park’s basketball court, according to court records.

Detectives talked to a man and other witnesses who identified Nash and Joseph as firing their revolver-type handguns at the man, according to state court documents. Honolulu Emergency Services Department reported responding to a scene where multiple shots were fired at about 7:10 p.m. that night in 2019.

McCullah suffered gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.