⏱ 2 min read
On the sun-kissed Big Island, a shadowy scheme brewed, siphoning off millions meant for struggling families. A corrupt official at the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development was bribed by a billionaire and two attorneys to greenlight $11 million in affordable housing deals.
A June 2025 jury nailed Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti, 65, of California, and lawyers Gary Charles Zamber, 56, of Keaau, and Paul Joseph Sulla, 79, of Hilo, for their roles in the vast bribery scheme.
The trio paid millions in kickbacks while pretending to help those in need. But greed drove them, as Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva railed, ‘That kind of greed doesn’t just break the law – it erodes trust, damages institutions, robs honest businesses of opportunities and harms American citizens.’
Judge’s gavel came down, sentencing Zamber to 70 months, Budhabhatti to 90 months, and Sulla to 60 months behind bars.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Public Corruption
- Defendant: Hawaii
- Location: HI
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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