A 62-year-old Hilo man faces numerous felony charges after a traffic stop on the morning of Aug. 21 on Waiakea Peninsula led to a search of the vehicle the man was driving.
Troy Toledo is charged with first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, attempted first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, promoting a controlled substance near a park, illegally carrying a firearm and ammunition, possessing a firearm in the commission of a felony drug offense, carrying a loaded firearm on a public roadway and driving without a license.
According to court documents filed by police, Toledo was pulled over on Lihiwai Street near both Liliuokalani Gardens and Hilo Bayfront Beach Park.
A search warrant executed on the truck, documents state, turned up more than 35 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a loaded Marlin brand .45-70 lever-action rifle, a Winchester model 1886 .45-70 lever-action rifle and in excess of 300 rounds of ammunition.
Documents state Toledo’s driver license expired in 2019.
Toledo, who has two prior felony convictions, reportedly told police the firearms were registered in his girlfriends’ name because as a convicted felon, he’s not allowed firearms.
He admitted to firing the rifles, documents state.
The most serious offenses, possession of a firearm in the commission of a drug felony, first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug are all Class A felony offenses that carry a maximum penalty of a 20-year prison term, upon conviction.
At Toledo’s initial court appearance on Friday, Deputy Public Defender Jared Auna requested that Hilo District Judge David Harada-Stone free Toledo in supervised release, a form of cashless bail. Deputy Prosecutor Rich Kuhlmann objected.
Harada-Stone maintained Toledo’s bail at $641,000 and ordered Toledo to return to court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.
Toledo remains in custody in Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com
