HONOLULU, Hawaii – In a shocking turn of events, a former Maui County Environmental Management official has been charged with accepting bribes from a Honolulu-based businessman.
Wilfred Tamayo Savella, 71, a former public official with the Maui County Department of Environmental Management, has been charged with accepting bribes from Milton Choy while in his official capacity.
According to the information unsealed today, Savella accepted bribes totaling over $40,000 from Choy for his role in initiating, awarding and/or acting as DEM’s primary contact person for sole source contracts issued by Maui County to DEM.
The bribes were made with cash, bank deposits, at least one gambling trip to Las Vegas, casino chips, and/or other financial benefits, in exchange for Savella’s agreement to assist in the awarding of lucrative sole source contracts and purchase orders to Choy’s company.
The investigation, conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, revealed that Savella accepted bribes between approximately 2013 through 2017.
If convicted, Savella faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. An information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A court appearance for Savella is scheduled for December 5, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.
Choy, the Honolulu-based businessman, pleaded guilty in September 2022, to bribing another Maui County official, Stewart Stant, who also pled guilty in September 2022.
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Key Facts
- State: Hawaii
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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