Bend man sentenced to nine years in federal prison for role in multistate meth trafficking operation

EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend man was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possessing 20 pounds of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

Isaac Kitashima, 48, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, from August 2020 to June 2021, Kitashima and his co-conspirators ran a multi-state drug trafficking operation. Kitashima used associates to help him purchase, ship, and transport methamphetamine between California, Oregon, and Hawaii.

In August 2020, Kitashima hired an accomplice to transport a shipment of methamphetamine from California to Oregon. An Oregon State Police trooper attempted to stop a vehicle. The driver initially yielded when stopped, but then fled at high speed. The officer pursued the vehicle, which was later found abandoned. A search of the vehicle turned up nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine, as well as items identifying Kitashima, authorities said.

Between February and May 2021, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Postal Service intercepted several packages of methamphetamine intended for distribution through Kitashima in Oregon and Hawaii.

On August 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Kitashima with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute. On September 2, 2021, the DEA and Maui police executed a search warrant at Kitashima’s home in Makawao, Hawaii, where he was arrested. During the search, investigators found methamphetamine and firearms in the residence.

On February 27, 2024, Kitashima pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

This case was investigated by the DEA, USPS, Oregon State Police, and the Maui Police Department. She was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Delph.