Federal Jury Convicts Maui Man of Possessing Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute After Online Sting
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii announced that Christopher Grindling, 58, of Kahului, in Maui County, Hawaii, was found guilty on November 5, 2026, of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The verdict followed a three-day jury trial before Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Grindling was identified during an online law enforcement operation targeting individuals seeking sex with minors. As proven at trial, during the operation Grindling offered drugs and cash to an undercover officer in exchange for sex on a popular dating application.
Officers with the Maui Police Department subsequently executed a search warrant at Grindling's home and found approximately 113 grams of methamphetamine locked in a safe and nearby, as well as hundreds of small plastic baggies and a digital scale.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 25, 2027, before Judge Kobayashi. At sentencing, Grindling faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, plus a term of supervised release of at least five years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Maui Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregg Paris Yates and Arisa R. Herman are prosecuting the case, and U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson announced the verdict. (Source: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii)
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部罗伯特·肯尼迪大楼。APK 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. By APK, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
