‘Ice’ dealer gets 8 years in prison

His drug ring used women wearing diapers to ship the illegal substance

A Big Island man was sentenced in U.S. District Court yesterday to eight years and two months in prison for his role in a drug ring that used cattle feed bags and female couriers wearing adult diapers to ship 19 pounds of crystal methamphetamine into Hawaii.

Scott Spencer was facing at least 15 years, eight months in federal prison under advisory sentencing guidelines.

But "he cooperated, and I think the judge gave him a fair sentence, given all the factors," said defense attorney Sam King Jr.

U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright also ordered Spencer to serve four years of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office upon his release.

Spencer, considered a major distributor, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy and a firearm violation involving a handgun that was found in his backpack when he was arrested in February 2006.

The drugs were brought in between September 2004 and March 2005.

According to court documents, co-defendant Jose Diaz shipped more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine packed into five bags of cattle feed in shipping containers. Of that shipment, Spencer received 12 pounds and paid $140,000.

Because Diaz was having too many problems shipping drugs using that method, he switched to female couriers between California and Hawaii, court documents said.

The drugs were packed into Kotex diapers -- commonly used by adults with incontinence. The remaining seven pounds Spencer received in February and March 2005 arrived through this method.

Another co-defendant, Elias Jauregui, was sentenced to 20 years.