(BIVN) – Police arrested a 45-year-old man at a Hilo park on Saturday, and recovered 1.75 pounds of cocaine with a street value of nearly $80k.
Michael McDermot Bratt of Hilo was arrested and charged following a Hawaiʻi Police Department Vice Division investigation at Malama Park on July 24, 2026.
Detectives recovered Bratt’s vehicle, a Nissan SUV, and a Panda Express reusable bag as evidence. According to a police news release:
A search warrant executed on Bratt’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of more than 86 grams of cocaine. A second search warrant executed on the recovered bag led to the seizure of an additional 711 grams of cocaine. This totals 1.75 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $79,000 removed from our island communities.
Police also reported recovering unused zip packets, an operable digital scale, and a spoon containing cocaine residue.
Bratt was charged with four counts of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, and promoting a controlled substance in a public park.
The office of Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen reported Bratt made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday afternoon, where his request for supervised release was denied, and his bail was maintained at $500,000. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.
According to prosecutors:
As the Complaint alleges, Bratt is charged with five offenses, including two counts of Attempted Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree, two counts of Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree, and Promoting a Controlled Substance In, On or Near Schools, School Vehicles, Public Parks, or Public Housing Projects or Complexes.
The most serious offenses, Attempted Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree and Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the First Degree, are both class A felony offenses and carry a maximum penalty of a twenty-year prison term. If convicted as charged, Prosecutors have provided notice that Bratt is subject to a mandatory prison term and will not be eligible for probation.
The charges are merely allegations, and the Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Police ask anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Detective Keith Simeona of the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s Vice Division at (808) 961-2340 or via email at Keith.Simeona@hawaiipolice.gov.
