Three Men Sentenced in Hawaii Affordable-Housing Bribery Scheme
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The U.S. Department of Justice said Gary Charles Zamber, Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti and Paul Joseph Sulla were sentenced to 70, 90 and 60 months in prison, respectively. A jury convicted all three in June 2025 of conspiracy and honest-services wire fraud; Sulla was also convicted of money laundering. They were found to have paid or attempted to pay approximately $1.93 million in bribes and kickbacks to a Hawaii County housing official.
According to court documents and trial evidence cited by the DOJ, the scheme involved agreements worth more than $11 million in land and affordable-housing credits, although the associated companies built no units. The official, Alan Scott Rudo, pleaded guilty and testified at trial; his sentencing is pending.