U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake sentenced a 43-year-old Kula man to three years and four months in prison for possessing explosive powder as a convicted felon.

According to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, Jess Kiesel Lee, 43, of Kula set off a homemade firework near Kaamana Street in Kula on or before Aug. 7, 2024. Maui police also later encountered multiple improvised explosive devices near the same location.

The FBI seized the IEDs and found Lee’s fingerprint on one of the IEDs. The FBI determined that at least one of the devices contained a mixture of compounds consistent with the remnants of explosive firework powder.

A month later, the FBI searched Lee’s residence in Kula and found methamphetamine, firearms, ammunition and IEDs containing flash powder, a common explosive firework powder.

Lee reportedly admitted to knowingly possessing that explosive powder after he sustained multiple felony convictions in Hawaii.

Noting that Lee’s firework was set off near a wooded area on Kaamana Street and placed the surrounding community in danger considering Maui’s susceptibility to wildfires, Judge Otake sentenced Lee to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

“The protection and safety of our community is our highest priority,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We have witnessed the serious harm and life-threatening danger presented by the possession and use of illegal explosives in our local communities, including illegal fireworks. We pledge to aggressively investigate, charge, and convict those who unlawfully construct, possess, or detonate explosives and explosive materials. We credit our steadfast partners at the FBI for their outstanding investigative efforts in this case.”

Lee’s sentencing also follows a deadly incident on New Year’s Eve 2024 in Honolulu in which three people were killed and dozens injured in a massive explosion involving illegal fireworks.

“Homemade explosive devices present a significant danger to our island communities,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter in a statement. “The FBI — in coordination with our law enforcement partners — is committed to using every tool available to hold criminals accountable when they threaten public safety.”

Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing any explosives including gunpowder, dynamite, blasting agents, fuzes (other than electric circuit breakers), detonators, smokeless powders, flash powder and bulk salutes.

The case was investigated by Maui police and the FBI with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Slack and Wayne A. Myers prosecuted the case.