Man awarded $12.5M from city charged again with gun, drug crimes

The 38-year-old man who was awarded $12.5 million after he sued the city following injuries suffered in a 2021 police pursuit will be arraigned in federal court today after he was charged with using a ghost gun while selling methamphetamine in Waianae.

Jonaven Perkins-Sinapati, a convicted felon with more than 40 arrests and citations, was charged by criminal complaint Saturday with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On May 23, the Honolulu Police Department got an anonymous tip that Perkins-Sinapati was operating a black Jaguar sport utility vehicle and was wanted on an outstanding state warrant with a bail amount of $1 million, according to federal court records.

Perkins-Sinapati was previously charged in state court May 7 with several firearm and ammunition offenses, third-degree promoting a dangerous drug, and second-degree reckless endangering.

On May 23, an HPD officer saw the black Jaguar SUV and a passenger throw a dark bag out of the window.

The officer recovered the bag and allegedly found 108 grams of methamphetamine.

In the bag, the officer also allegedly found a loaded, homemade 9mm pistol, “bearing no manufacturer number nor serial number,” 14 rounds of Luger 9mm ammunition, and four rounds of 40-caliber Smith and Wesson Hornady ammunition.

HPD pulled Perkins-Sinapati over at the intersection of Farrington Highway and Lualualei Homestead Road.

The officer saw ammunition in the cup holder of the jaguar. HPD arrested him and his passenger on suspicion of multiple state gun charges.

A fanny pack found in the car allegedly had 48 grams of methamphetamine in it.

Perkins-Sinapati faces enhanced penalties if convicted in state court since he has prior felony convictions for car theft, robbery and promotion of a dangerous drug.

On May 4 at about 1:13 p.m., Perkins-Sinapati, allegedly fired a gun in a residential area near the Ewa Makai Middle School.

The city agreed to pay $12.5 million to Perkins-Sinapati, the driver of a car that crashed on Sept 12, 2021, in Makaha during a pursuit by Honolulu police officers who allegedly left the scene, only to return and act like nothing happened.