Armed Felon Indicted After Barricading Himself in Home with Over Ten Pounds of Methamphetamine and Illegal Firearms

News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Thursday, July 31, 2025

HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced today that Patrick Nowicke, 44, of Wahiawa, Hawaii, was indicted today with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on July 13, 2025, law enforcement arrested Nowicke at his residence in Wahiawa, Hawaii for terroristic threatening in the first degree. The arrest followed a multi-hour armed barricade between Nowicke and law enforcement. During a subsequent search of Nowicke’s residence, law enforcement seized over ten pounds of methamphetamine, an illegal short-barreled rifle, a 9mm privately made firearm, ammunition, a suspected silencer, and a suspected smoke grenade.

If convicted of the charged offenses, Nowicke faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, including a combined mandatory minimum of 25 years for the drug and firearm charges, and fines of up to $10 million.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).