Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti, Bribery of a Public Official, Hawaii 2026

BODY:
A multimillion-dollar scheme to bribe a public official in Hawaii has landed three men behind bars. Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti, 65, of Morro Bay, California, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, while Gary Charles Zamber, 56, of Keaau, Hawaii, received 70 months. Paul Joseph Sulla, 79, of Hilo, Hawaii, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.

The scheme involved paying bribes to Alan Scott Rudo, a Housing Specialist at the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), in exchange for his official actions on affordable housing development agreements worth over $11 million. On June 4, 2025, a jury in the District of Hawaii convicted Sulla, Zamber, and Budhabhatti on all counts of a superseding indictment.

The indictment charged the three defendants with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and nine counts of honest services wire fraud. Sulla was also convicted of money laundering. The scheme was described as a “calculated betrayal of the very community the defendants were supposed to serve.”

The convictions and sentences are a result of a long investigation into the corrupt activities of the defendants. The case highlights the importance of holding public officials accountable for their actions and the consequences of engaging in corrupt practices.

The sentences handed down to the defendants are a significant blow to those who would seek to exploit their positions for personal gain. As the investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate, the Department of Justice will continue to pursue those who engage in corrupt activities and bring them to justice.

Source: Department of Justice

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