The leader of a heavily armed drug gang is sentenced to 30 years in prison

The leader of a heavily armed Honolulu drug trafficking organization that marketed deadly fentanyl-laced mixtures of opioids, heroin and methamphetamine will serve 30 years in federal prison.

Gabriel Antone Eberhardt, aka “Stacks,” 42, of Detroit, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake to 30 years in federal prison for leading a group of at least 10 people from Hawaii, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and Florida who were found with rifles, handguns and more than $250,000 in cash in cars and storage rooms on Oahu.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Otake sentenced Eberhardt to 12 years for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine and 18 years for discharging a weapon while selling heroin.

When he is released from federal prison, Eberhardt will be on supervised release for five years. In a plea agreement dated April 8, Eberhardt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin; using a weapon while selling drugs; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He must forfeit $253,234 in drug proceeds, several firearms including two Bushmaster rifles, 131 rounds of ammunition and a 2016 Dodge Charger. Additional firearms and ammunition were administratively confiscated by the government.

“The influx of illegal, deadly narcotics through transnational distribution operations is increasingly accompanied by gun violence, with exponentially damaging consequences for our community,” U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors said in a statement. “This large-scale prosecution reflects the highest level of cooperation among multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies and … reaffirms that those who profit from causing such harm in our state will be held accountable.”

Eberhardt was indicted on August 19, 2021, along with Jason Darnell Smith, also known as “Famous” or “Sweets,” whom the U.S. Department of Justice described in court documents as Eberhardt's partner in running the drug trafficking organization that sometimes arranged drug sales in the United States Shopping center parking lots.

The pair is accused of selling opioids such as oxycodone pills and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and oxycodone, methamphetamine and fentanyl-laced heroin, often referred to as “Afghan White.”

On Oct. 19, 2021, Eberhardt met three people in the parking lot of a convenience store on South Beretania Street to complete a heroin deal, according to the plea agreement filed April 8.

Documents show that Eberhardt and one of the three people involved got into an argument and one of the buyers fired an airsoft gun at Eberhardt before getting out of his car. Eberhardt drove his car to block the escape of the three shoppers in their car and went to get his gun. He then opened fire with at least three shots, hitting one of the shoppers with a bullet that went into his chest.

At one point, Eberhardt negotiated with an undercover HPD detective to sell 25 grams of “Ghan,” a street drug containing fentanyl, for $6,000. Another time he allegedly arranged the sale of a drug called Gray Death for $10,000.

On June 30 and July 1, 2021, Honolulu Police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized $121,131 from a storage unit on Waialae Avenue, $102,919 from a storage unit on Hila Place in Pearl City, and $24,327.41 dollars from a bag that was stored in a black Mercedes-Benz. According to federal court records, Benz and $4,857 were taken from a residence on Young Street.

Also on June 30, 2021, investigators searched a storage unit on Kawa Street in Kaneohe, the Young Street residence and the Mercedes and discovered a cache of weapons, including a Romarm/Cugir 5.45x39mm rifle, a Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun, a Sig Sauer .45 caliber pistol, two Bushmaster Firearms .223 5.56mm caliber rifles, an Olympic Arms .223 5.56mm caliber rifle, body armor, a HS Product .45 caliber handgun and Cartridges and ammunition magazines.

“The success of this investigation is directly attributable to interagency collaboration and shared commitment to making Honolulu safer for our residents and visitors,” HPD Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan said in a statement. “The Honolulu Police Department will continue to work closely with our federal partners to identify, disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating throughout Oahu.”

Eberhardt was previously convicted in Michigan in 2000 of aggravated assault with intent to murder and felony firearms and was sentenced to 15 to 25 years in prison, according to court documents.

“This case is a warning that we will use every resource available to make our communities safer by shutting down their operations and bringing their members to justice,” FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill said in a statement .

Others also indicted as members of Eberhardt's drug trafficking organization included Martzes Junior, also known as “Green”; Jennifer Ashcraft, also known as “Jessie”; Jared Northern, also known as “White Boy Jay” or “Gage”; Isaiah Marks, also known as “Seh”; “Zakiyyah Mareus, also known as “Kai”; Tishanah Iwalani Kaio-Barrozo; Michael Garrett, also known as “Sideburns” or “Burns”; Lynden David Lightburn, aka “Soulja”; and Robert Adams, also known as “Tre.”

The joint investigation was part of an Organized Drug Crimes Task Force operation to “discover, disrupt and dismantle the top criminal organizations threatening the United States” using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-led, multi-agency approach.

The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US Postal Inspection Service and HPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is prosecuting the case.