Press Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Hawaii
PJKK Federal Building (808) 541-2850
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 6-100 FAX (808) 541-2958
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
May 4, 2007
For Immediate Release
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Former federal corrections officer AKONI SANDOVAL KAPIHE (28), a resident of Honolulu, was sentenced yesterday by the Honorable Helen Gillmor, Chief District Judge for the District of Hawaii, to a term of 33 months imprisonment. KAPIHE was sentenced for providing prohibited objects to inmates at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, while he was employed there as a corrections officer. He was ordered to begin serving his sentence on June 14, 2007.
Edward H. Kubo, Jr., United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that KAPIHE was indicted with ROBERT KUPAHU, KEOKI ASTRONOMO, and MARLENE ASTRONOMO on April 27, 2006, for his involvement in a scheme to provide prohibited objects, including methamphetamine, to inmates at the Federal Detention Center. On December 26, 2006, KAPIHE pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to providing a prohibited object to an inmate. According to information produced in court, he admitted obtaining protein supplement containers from Gabrielle Kupahu, ROBERT KUPAHU’s wife, and then providing them to inmates ROBERT KUPAHU and KEOKI ASTRONOMO. The protein supplement containers also contained marijuana and methamphetamine. Despite his suspicion that he was assisting the inmates in obtaining marijuana and methamphetamine, KAPIHE brought the prohibited objects into the Federal Detention Center on multiple occasions. He received a total of $200 for his role.
Gabrielle Kupahu, who was charged with providing prohibited objects to inmates in a separate information, was previously sentenced and is serving a 25-month term of imprisonment. MARLENE ASTRONOMO, who also pled guilty to providing prohibited objects to inmates, was sentenced on May 1, 2007, to three years probation and a $2,500 fine. Co-defendants ROBERT KUPAHU and KEOKI ASTRONOMO are scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2007.
This criminal investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assisted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Clare Connors.
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