Ex-lieutenant must report to prison pending appeal
HONOLULU — A former Honolulu police lieutenant must report to prison next week to serve a three-and-a-half year sentence in Hawaii’s biggest ever corruption case after a U.S. judge denied his request to remain free while he appeals his conviction.
A judge denied Derek Wayne Hahn’s motion during a hearing Tuesday, said Hahn’s attorney, Victor Bakke.
A jury convicted Hahn, another former police officer, former Honolulu police chief Louis Kealoha and his former prosecutor wife, Katherine, of conspiracy in a plot to frame a man to preserve the Kealohas’ lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said.
Hahn is scheduled to surrender next Tuesday at a federal detention center in Oregon.
The appeal process could take several years, his motion said.
During Tuesday’s hearing, U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright also denied a request by former officer Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen to join in Hanh’s motion. Nguyen was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Visitor arrested for violating quarantine rules
WAILUKU, Maui — An Oregon woman was arrested last week, after arriving in Hawaii, because she violated travel quarantine rules, police said.
After arriving on a flight from Seattle, Kelsey Newcomer, 36, of Portland, did not have a negative pre-travel COVID-19 test from an approved facility and she did not have approved lodging where she could complete a mandatory 10-day travel quarantine, Maui police said.
She was taken to a police station in Wailuku and later agreed to leave Maui and return to Oregon, police said. She was traveling alone, according to Alana Pico, a police spokeswoman.
Travelers are still required to comply with the state’s pre-travel testing program, even those who are fully vaccinated. Travelers must have a negative test result prior to departing for Hawaii in order to bypass the quarantine.
State planning incentive to boost vaccinations
HONOLULU — Officials are preparing to announce new incentives for people in Hawaii to get vaccinated.
“It’s going to be big and it’s going to be generous,” said Lt. Gov. Josh Green. “Probably about a week or two from now I would expect some of these fun announcement to come.”
While details are thin, officials with the Hawaii Restaurant Association and the Retail Merchants of Hawaii said they were asked to find businesses willing to participate.
Green said he is also planning to try to get participation from Las Vegas to join.
“My team is going to reach out to some hotels over in Las Vegas and see if they’d be willing to offer some nights over on the Ninth Island,” he said.
“Hawaii’s business community has been a true partner throughout the pandemic,” said state Department of Health spokesperson Brooks Baehr. “They are taking the lead in this effort to work with the Department of Health and provide incentives that may engage and excite people.”
Several other states already launched incentive programs.
Green said Hawaii’s incentive program is currently being vetted by attorneys.
