Maui Police Leader Accused Of Taking Bribes Will Stay In Jail For Now
Meanwhile, popular Hawaiian reggae artist Glenn Awong, known as Maoli, faces questions about his connection to the jailed officer.
A Maui police lieutenant accused of taking bribes to protect criminals will remain in federal detention as his case moves through court, a federal judge ordered on Tuesday.
Michael Vaituulala, who served with the Maui Police Department for 18 years, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Federal prosecutors say he regularly accepted cash from cockfight organizers and drug dealers and, in exchange, helped them avoid enforcement and gave them confidential police information.
Speaking during a detention hearing Tuesday morning, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeannette Graviss outlined allegations against Vaituulala dating back to 2019 when he was accused of helping a man avoid arrest after he was stopped for driving under the influence.
The driver had multiple open cans of alcohol in his car and had crashed into a road median, Graviss said. But when Vaituulala arrived on scene, he told the other officers to let him go.
“This is part of a consistent pattern,” Graviss said.
Federal prosecutors filed a motion asking the judge to detain Vaituulala because if released, they said, he might try to obstruct justice by destroying evidence or interfering with witnesses. He already destroyed evidence by deleting his Instagram account shortly before his arrest last week, according to the motion.
His actions as a police officer put many people in danger, Graviss said. He disclosed information about confidential sources and tipped off a drug dealing suspect who was responsible for distributing “large amounts” of meth and narcotics throughout Maui about the presence of a federal wiretap investigation.
Graviss also said Vaituulala may be a flight risk because he has travelled internationally and to the mainland on many occasions, and his house on Maui is up for sale.
Vaituulala’s attorney, Gary Singh, told the judge that Vaituulala had already surrendered his passport, as well as his registered firearm. If released, Singh said Vaituulala would follow the rules.
“If you have a list of witnesses that he’s not supposed to contact, he’s going to comply with that,” Singh said. “He’s a law enforcement officer, he knows better.”
But Graviss argued the officer’s pattern of behavior tells a different story.
“The government’s position is he should’ve known better already,” she said.
Judge Rom Trader said Vaituulala had a two-faced, “Jekyll and Hyde” persona.
“I think you’re a good guy and are capable of following a lot of the things you’re supposed to,” he said. “But at the same time, someone like you can have this completely other life. It’s frightening.”
Trader referenced a scenario from the criminal complaint in which Vaituulala is alleged to have given confidential information about a police investigation to a drug dealer suspected of shipping a package containing meth and cocaine to Hawaiʻi through the U.S. Postal Service.
“If that information puts the community at risk, it puts poison in the community, or puts confidential sources at risk,” Trader said. “You know better than I do, undercover people, confidential informants, all of those things, people get hurt, they get killed.”
Trader granted prosecutors’ motion to detain, and Vaituulala, who was clad in a white prison jumpsuit, was led away through a side door. Multiple family members who attended the hearing did not speak as they left the courtroom. Singh declined to comment.
‘I Trusted Him’
As the commander of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, or CIU, Vaituulala reported directly to Maui Police Chief John Pelletier.
Pelletier had said in a statement released Friday that the allegations against Vaituulala don’t align with the man he knew personally and professionally.
“I trusted him and considered him a friend, and he was present during deeply personal moments in my life, including conducting the blessing when my father’s ashes were scattered,” he said. “But as Chief, I have a responsibility that extends beyond any personal relationship.”
Pelletier said the department had launched an internal investigation into Vaituulala and disbanded the CIU. Maui police spokeswoman Alana Pico did not answer questions Tuesday about whether the department would conduct a review of all the cases Vaituulala handled.
Pelletier said that if Vaituulala is convicted, the department will “take appropriate action within our authority.” Vaituulala is currently on administrative leave. Pico did not confirm whether that leave is paid.
“I understand that these allegations have raised difficult questions and affected public trust,” Pelletier said. “But the alleged actions of one individual should not overshadow the dedication of the men and women who serve this community every day.”
Maoli Singer Faces Questions
The criminal complaint against Vaituulala also describes an incident involving illegal fireworks that occurred early on New Year’s Day. A firework coming from a party at a home on Puʻumakani Street in Kahului blasted through a neighbor’s wall, causing $36,000 in damage, Hawaii News Now reported.
The party was hosted by Glenn Awong, the Hawaiian music star known as Maoli. Awong was issued a criminal citation, but the case was later dropped due to lack of evidence, according to HNN.
The complaint does not name Awong, but it references a New Year’s party at “Person 3’s home on Maui,” where illegal fireworks were being displayed and a neighbor’s house caught fire as they were being set off.
The complaint also says Person 3 was a “methamphetamine source of supply” for a drug dealing suspect who is described in the complaint as a cooperating defendant.
Dozens of commenters took to social media in recent days to speculate about Awong’s connection to the case.
The comment section of a recent post on Awong’s music Instagram page, @maolimusic, was deactivated Tuesday. The clip of Awong singing his hit “Every Night Every Morning” on stage attracted dozens of comments from Instagram users who digitally heckled him about his alleged involvement with Vaituulala.
Awong could not be reached by phone. He did not respond to messages sent on Instagram and Facebook. His music management company did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The owner of the home where Awong lives, Homan Farrokhmanesh, did not return a voicemail seeking comment.
Vaituulala is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 27 for a preliminary hearing during which a judge will determine if there is enough evidence for the case to proceed.
