Prosecutors have successfully “flipped” another defendant who was a part of the drug network that allegedly operated as part of the racketeering conspiracy controlled and directed by Mike Miske, the former owner of Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control, and other businesses.

Nicholas Carignan pleaded guilty on Friday to a single count of drug possession with intent to distribute. The plea came during a hearing before Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield. Carignan had been arrested in December 2019 when he arrived at the location of a planned drug sale with two pounds of methamphetamine in two ziplock-style bags. The buy had been arranged in a phone call from someone he had sold to previously, but was now cooperating with federal investigators.

Carignan, 34, faces a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence when he is eventually sentenced, followed by at least five years of supervised release.

Mansfield recommended accepting the guilty plea, which was part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, but it must still go to Judge Derrick Watson for final approval. As part of the plea deal, Carignan agreed “to testify truthfully at any and all trials, hearings, or any other proceedings, including, but not limited to, any grand jury proceedings, trial proceedings involving co-defendants and others charged later in the investigation, sentencing hearings, and related civil proceedings.

Carignan becomes at least the seventh person linked to Miske’s network to plead guilty and agree to cooperate with prosecutors after being charged separately from the Miske defendants. In addition, five of Miske’s original ten co-defendants have also flipped and agreed to testify against their former associates.

Two of Miske’s co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty had identified Carignan as part of their drug networks. Hunter Wilson pleaded guilty in May 2021, admitting to being a member of associate of Miske’s racketeering conspiracy beginning at least by 2016 and continuing until his arrest in June 2020.

“Among the individuals with whom Wilson worked to distribute methamphetamine were Jacob “Jake” Smith, Nicholas “Nico” Carignan, Timothy Taboada and Jarrin Young,” according to Wilson’s written plea agreement filed in federal court. Evidence cited by prosecutors includes court-approved wiretaps on cell phones used by Wilson and others in 2018.

Taboada and Smith have also pleaded guilty and are cooperating with prosecutors.

Kaulana Freitas, who pleaded guilty earlier this year, also identified Smith and Carignan as “among the individuals with whom Freitas worked to distribute oxycodone….” Prosecutors cited messages extracted from Smith’s cellphone in which Smith agreed he and Carignan would purchase 40 oxycodone pills for $20 each from Freitas.

Although Carignan bought drugs through the Miske group for further resale, he was not charged with being a participant in the overall racketeering conspiracy.

Carignan had been released to a drug treatment program in March 2021, soon after charges were filed in his case, and has remained free on a $50,000 unsecured bond.

Carignan is represented by Honolulu attorney Victor Bakke, who took over the case at the beginning of this year.