Sayuri Okada, a defendant in a drug trafficking case, accepted a guilty plea for Possession of a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine), a lesser felony charge punishable by sentence between 15 to 25 years imprisonment and $10,000 and up to $25,000 fine in the first conviction.
Ms. Okada was charged on two counts, Trafficking of a Controlled Substance which carried a much steeper punishment and Possession of Controlled Substance.
Court accepted her plea agreement to lesser charge and sentenced her to five years in jail with credit for time already served. She was not ordered to pay fine and was released to settle her family and make arrangements for her children and will report to jail on October 21st to serve her prison term.
Ms. Okada was seized for inspection upon her arrival to Palau on the September 6, 2021 flight due to her “high risk” status.
After a secondary inspection, a small clear plastic was found in her hair tie (scrunchie) and was found to contain 4.5 gram of crystalline substances that tested positive for methamphetamine (ice).
Ms. Okada was held in custody until after her trial and sentencing. She will be reporting back to serve her sentence on October 21st of this year.