Corruption probe ends with offense sentences

Former general manager of Honolulu, Roy Amemiya Jr. (left), former City Corporation counselor, Donna Leong and former chairman of the Honolulu Police Commission, Max Sword, chairman of the Honolulu Police Commission.

A 10 -year investigation by a special federal prosecutor targeted the public corruption in Hawaii ended on Tuesday with the sentence of three former city officials who recognized a crime because it illegally pushed $ 250,000 to the former Honolulu police chief, Louis Keloha, who escaped the examination.

Former corporation counselor, Donna Yuk Lan Leong, 69 years old, former Honolulu Police Commission, Max John Sword, 73, and then, the general manager of Kirk Caldwell, Roy Kiiji Amemiya Jr., 69, conspired “in their official capabilities as officials of Honolulu. Solving ”and be agitated while they were Honolulu City officials who will arrive with the Federal Investigation Bureau.

The trio provided $ 250,000 in county money, without the revision and vote of approval from the Honolulu Local Council, “which was requested by the laws of the city”.

Leong, Sword and Ame Miya have recognized that their decision to bypass the approval of the Municipal Council “violated the procedural rights of the appropriate city citizens, as it was ensured by the fifth and fourth changes of the United States Constitution, regarding the right to a hearing and approval of the use of the city, according to the local council. Tuesday.

None of the former city officials will serve the federal time of the prison. They did not take advantage of their crime, according to the judicial documents.

When asked outside the Federal court that Caldwell knew about the reimbursement agreement and his involvement in his negotiation, the three ex-Offects refused the comments and did not take questions after reading short statements.

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Sword and Leong will pay a fine of $ 100 000 and will serve a supervised release year as part of their plea agreement with the US Justice Department. Each one agreed with a sentence of time executed, a year of supervised release and restitution.

Replacement information was filed on Monday, and the federal prosecutors moved to have the accusation of offense against the three former Hono Lulu officials rejected with prejudices.

The only accusation of crimes against the three officials in the city-Oraș is the federal prosecutors outlined in a memo of February 25 who did not provide time in the federal prison.

Amemiya has concluded a postponement prosecute agreement with federal prosecutors, a rare agreement that the group lawyers noted that they have never seen in the Federal court in Hawaii.

The accusation against Ame Miya will be modified to an offense and provided that Amemiya comply with the conditions of the agreement, the accusation against it will be rejected, as long as it is not convicted of an offense.

The observance of Amemiya will depend on the certification by the Government Bureau, the refund, 200 hours of community service and a prohibition against the holding of public functions.

Amemiya started volunteering to help keep an urban garden led by the University of Hawaii.

He has to pay a $ 50 fine and meet two years of supervised federal release.

The trio was convicted by the main judge of the American district Leslie E. Kobayashi.

“You have decided unilaterally on the result you wanted and your co-conspirators, which was to make Louie Keloha leave the city’s employment and probably with the mentality that the end justifies the means. By doing this, you kept you above the law and you acted with arrogance and a complete disregard for the law and the separation of power between the executive branch and the legislative branch, ”said Koba Yashi, mentioning that Leong has no history of crime, violent behavior, abuse of substances or mental diseases and is a life resident in Hawaii. “You have assumed responsibility for your crime and, while your actions were really (a) a wrong and illegal attempt to save the city from the evil from the continuous employment of Louie Kealoha, you did not personally take advantage of your crimes.”

Leong, talking to Koba Yashi after asking to explain in his own words about what he was wrong, said as a Honolulu Corporation lawyer “I agreed not to present the city’s agreement to pay the former Police Chief of Police 250 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 to the Local Council for approval. Based on this agreement, the funds of the city were used to make this payment without receiving the approval of the Local Council first. “

“I hope that your sentence (Leong) prevents others from walking in a similar way in the future,” Kobayashi said.

Kobayashi admonished the sword with the same feelings that Leong listened to.

She asked Sword how she pleaded to the crime, and he replied, “Guilt, your honor.”

The role of Sword as the chairman of the Honolulu Police Commission was “essential to obtain the Commission’s approval for this Agreement,” said Kobayashi, who mentioned that Sword had many functions that required the Community service in the “names of the citizens of Hawaii”.

The sword, with the family and friends in the gallery in the courtroom, gave a remarkable statement through tears and broken breaths.

“Please forgive me for reading this. I have a few points I will make and I have not been in this position, so this is the first time, “said Sword, who called his unpaid service decade to the Commission an” honor and privilege “.

The sword “dedicated the most” of his adult life to help the community, much of it through unpaid voluntary work.

“Your honor, I mention this service so that it did not justify what happened in this case, but to understand that my intentions and those of my colleagues who voted for the separation agreement (with Kealoha) were well intended and they meant to obtain the Honolulu Police Department and the citizens of Honolulu,” Sword, ” “I understand and accept that all the right reasons in the world do not serve as a defense for improper behavior. To this end, we also understood that we must create more transparency in the government. In retrospect, my mistake, in which I take full responsibility, was that the Police Commission presented the separation agreement to the Municipal Council. “

Kobayashi thanked Sword for his remorse, mentioning: “It was something that is missing in this case.”

“There are checks and hips for a reason and it is very unfortunate that it continued as it did, and you have certainly paid a high price for it,” she told Sword. “I look forward to doing very well at the supervised release and you can put this behind you and continue to work on behalf of the community.”

US assistant lawyer Michael Wheat, the special prosecutor dealing with the case of the American prosecutor for the Southern District of California, retired on December 31.

Federal prosecutors did not say why they decided to leave to make a crime supply until an offense.

The conclusion of the criminal case against Leong, Sword and Amemiya is “the last one in a series of over ten years of corruption pursuits in Hawaii”

Leaded by the American prosecutor’s office for the Southern District of California, who pursued the pursuit of these cases after the Hawaii district was refusled, according to a press release.

The team of Federal prosecutors in San Diego “was accused and convicted over a dozen people, most of them being public officials or protrusion” in Honolulu, including Kealohas, Honolulu police officers and Katherine Kealoha’s brother.

The federal investigation also tried to sue Honolulu’s former lawyer, Keith Kaneshiro, businessman Dennis Mitsu Naga and employees Mitsunaga, Terri Ann Otani, Aaron Shunichi Fujii, Chad Michael McDonald and Sheri Jean Tanaka.

Federal prosecutors have tried to prove that Kaneshiro sought to follow a former Mitsu Naga employee in exchange for the campaign contributions.

Found a jury.

Following his payment, Kaneshiro told Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the federal investigation against him and Mitsunaga began with a salary, because he with Wheat’s team in Keloha.

Kaneshiro said it lasted eight years until a jury paid in less than 48 hours.

“After a ten -year fight against the public corruption in Hawaii, I have successfully brought many cases. This achievement is a will of the unwavering dedication of our partners to apply the law, prosecutors, our legal assistance and community staff, “said Andrew R. Haden, American lawyer for the South District of California. “Together, we have shown that no one is above the law. We hope that our efforts have also restored a certain belief in the application of the law and in the local administration for the Hawaiian community. But these cases should be a reminder, the fight against corruption should never end. The Department of Justice has a proud history and is ready to fight for the principles of justice and correctness for all. “

Speaking outside the court after conviction, Amemiya thanked his family, friends and lawyers for “their unwavering support in me during this tried trip.”

“While my lawyers and I strongly believe that going to the trial would have led to a verdict that is not bad, having the opportunity to reject all the accusations as if they were never weighed in my decision to accept the Government’s proposal,” Amemiya said. “I accepted the job as general director of the city, because I honestly wanted to make the difference in the lives of our residents. I had a strong city team that faced some monumental challenges. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved together. “