Kona couple found with fentanyl at Big Island airport charged with additional offenses after suspected overdose of jail inmate

Hawai‘i Island police arrested and charged two Kailua-Kona residents with multiple offenses following two suspected fentanyl overdoses at the Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center in Hilo that left one man dead.

The suspects are identified as 41-year-old Izaiah Matthew Shields, and his 37-year-old girlfriend, Moriah Joan Goulette. They were recently incarcerated after being arrested on Dec. 29 at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport for possession of suspected fentanyl.

At 1 p.m. on Jan. 4, Hilo patrol officers responded to the jail after staff at the facility reported two unresponsive inmates within a cell. Both inmates were transported via ambulance to the Hilo Medical Center Emergency Room.

One of the inmates, Steven Mario Delgado, 56, of Pāhoa, was pronounced dead at Hilo Medical Center at 1:34 p.m. The other inmate, a 33-year-old Hilo man, was treated for drug intoxication and later released.

Delgado was arrested on Jan. 2 for a burglary charge. He also was due in 3rd Circuit Court on Feb. 26 for a change of plea on charges of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, a class C felony, and third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, a petty misdemeanor.

Through the course of their investigation, detectives with the Criminal Investigation Division recovered a white rock-like substance, believed to be fentanyl, along with three additional items wrapped in latex, in the cell where the suspected overdoses occurred. A search warrant was written and served on the three items, resulting in the recovery of 57.03 grams of fentanyl.

Shields was later arrested at the jail and taken to the Hilo Cellblock where an additional 2.24 grams of fentanyl was located on his person.

When Shields was first arrested in December, police took him to Kona Community Hospital where they performed an X-ray to determine if he was hiding drugs in his body. At that time, they recovered a foreign object in his anal cavity.

After voluntarily removing the item, which appeared to be a chalk-like substance in condoms, Shields confirmed it was “a little bit of meth and a little bit of fentanyl” for personal use, according to court documents.

The substance also had a presumptive positive test on a fentanyl test strip.

Following the overdose incident, jail personnel performed a search of Goulette, which resulted in the recovery of a clear zip-type packet from her mouth. The packet contained a white powdery substance, which later tested positive as fentanyl. Goulette was also arrested by Area I Vice Section detectives, and transported to the Hilo Cellblock where more fentanyl was located in her pocket. A total of 1 gram of fentanyl was located on Goulette’s person.

Area I Vice detectives continued their investigation and after conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office, charged Shields with:

• One count of first-degree promoting prison contraband
• One count of first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug
• One count third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug

His bail was set at $85,000.

Goulette was charged with:

• One count of first-degree promoting prison contraband
• Two counts of third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug

Her bail was set at $45,000.

An autopsy was performed on Delgado and showed no signs of trauma. The final results are pending toxicology results.

This investigation remains ongoing.