Oahu Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Destroying Cellphone Evidence to Thwart Federal Firearms Investigation

HONOLULU - United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Jordan Ishida, 27, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact by destroying two cellphones that were evidence in a federal firearms case.

According to information presented to the court, on November 5, 2023, Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officers were dispatched to a reported crime scene on Kapiolani Boulevard in Honolulu. Upon arrival, HPD officers encountered Chris Hong Tran and Ishida outside Tran's vehicle. HPD officers recovered a magazine loaded with nine 9mm rounds of ammunition from Tran's pocket, as well as a 9mm Sig Sauer pistol and a pepper ball gun from Tran's vehicle. HPD officers also recovered an additional magazine loaded with six 9mm rounds of ammunition from the roadway near Tran's vehicle. Further investigation revealed that Tran shot pepper balls at numerous individuals before brandishing the 9mm firearm at a bystander outside of a nightclub.

The FBI had been actively investigating Tran-a felon with two prior federal convictions for methamphetamine trafficking-for firearms offenses when he was arrested for the November 5, 2023 incident. The next day, Tran was charged federally for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Knowing that Tran had been charged and that the FBI was looking for the two cell phones Tran had on the night of his arrest, Ishida destroyed one of the phones on November 7 and discarded it in a sewer drain, and she gave the second phone to another individual with instructions to destroy it.

Ishida testified at an evidentiary hearing that was held in connection with her sentencing. The court found Ishida's testimony to be untruthful and, as a result, applied an additional sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice.

Tran was previously sentenced on February 13, 2025 to 108 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for the underlying firearms offense.

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Eucker prosecuted the case.