HONOLULU (KHON2) — Former Hawaii County Council member and mayoral candidate Stacy Higa has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for embezzlement and bribery.
Officials say, from 2018 to 2020 Higa embezzled more than $38,000 of AmeriCorps funds by signing and authorizing contracts and purchase orders while serving as executive director of the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service.
As part of a guilty plea, Higa also admitted to offering bribes to a Honolulu city official in return for grants under the CARES act.
In addition to jail time, Higa must pay more than $38,000 dollars and perform 200 hours of community service.
