The former CEO of Hawaii Island public access station Na Leo -- Stacy Higa -- was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading to embezzlement and bribery charges.
HILO, Hawaii (KITV4) -- The former CEO of Hawaii Island public access station Na Leo -- Stacy Higa -- was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading to embezzlement and bribery charges.
Higa served as the Executive Director of the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service from June 2011 until May 2020, according to the Department of Justice. The organization is responsible for administering AmeriCorps programs in the state.
According to the DOJ, from February 2018 until he resigned in April 2021, Higa embezzled more than $38,000 in AmeriCorps funds through contracts and purchases he made between the Hawaii Commission and two companies that he owned, the DOJ said.
Higa used the stolen monies for personal expenses, including about $20,000 on elective aesthetic dental care, the DOJ said.
Higa, 58, pleaded guilty back in October 2021 to embezzling from AmeriCorps and for offering a bribe in return for grants under the CARES Act.
“This Defendant abused his position of trust when he robbed AmeriCorps, a critical federal program designed to help the most vulnerable Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “His attempt to obtain CARES Act funds through bribery showed a shocking disregard for the critical importance of the program. The Department of Justice will prosecute, to the fullest extent of the law, those individuals who choose to abuse their positions of power to enrich themselves at the cost of the American people.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Higa will also have three years of supervised release, is required to pay $38,642 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment, and will also be required to perform 200 hours of community service.
Higa also previously served as a councilmember in Hawaii County and even ran for mayor.
