WAILUKU — A 41-year-old woman who was found with nearly a pound of crystal methamphetamine in the Walmart parking lot last year was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison.

“This was a massive amount of drugs,” said 2nd Circuit Court Judge Rhonda Loo as she imposed the sentence on Bree Anna Engdahl.

Loo said the drugs were not just a drug-user amount, but a seller’s amount.

Referencing testimony about how Engdahl has found religion and is turning her life around, Loo said those changes happened in jail, where there was no access to crystal meth.

Loo was pleased to hear that Engdahl is doing better, but added “you have to pay the piper for the crimes you committed.”

During sentencing, Engdahl said, “I am responsible and accountable for my actions.” She also apologized for taking up the court’s time and taxpayers’ money. She said spending time in jail has helped her.

Deputy Prosecutor Tracy Jones said Engdahl had a large amount of drugs that she was going to sell to “spread its poison among our citizens.”

Jones said the drugs amount to thousands of “hits” users could take and that Engdahl admitted she was going to sell the drugs for $14,000.

Vice narcotics officers caught up with Engdahl while she was driving up and down the parking lot of Home Depot in Kahului on June 13, 2017, Jones said.

Officers, who had a search warrant for her vehicle, then followed her into the nearby Walmart parking lot. In the vehicle they found crystal methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, she added. In a bag in the bushes of the parking lot they found 445.41 grams of methamphetamine.

Jones said Engdahl was conducting the criminal activity at 5 p.m. on a Tuesday, when there are many shoppers and families going about their business. Jones wanted a prison sentence for Engdahl, noting, “We have a very severe problem with this drug she’s fueling into our community.”

Because of the drug, children are being placed into foster homes and tax dollars are being spent to incarcerate those with drug crimes, she added.

But Kailani Koa, who conducts prison ministry at Maui Community Correctional Center, where Engdahl is being held, asked Loo to give the defendant a chance.

“I’m asking for grace and mercy upon her,” Koa said. “She’s got a chance.”

Koa used herself as an example; she was once incarcerated and turned her life around.

Koa, who is part of the ministry at King’s Cathedral, did not have a drug addiction, but felt Engdahl was on the right path. Koa said she would give Engdahl a job if she wasn’t sentenced to prison.

Defense attorney Cary Virtue said Engdahl has a good support system and has tried to make changes. He added that these are Engdahl’s first criminal charges.

Engdahl pleased no contest to promoting a dangerous drug in the first degree. Other charges were dismissed in her case according to a plea agreement.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.