Two brothers who ran a Kaimuki auto parts store were granted deferred acceptance of guilty pleas yesterday on charges they took payments from the city for high-performance parts never used to repair Honolulu Police Department vehicles. Brothers sentenced
in HPD parts case2 men are fined for overcharging
the city for unused auto partsBy Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.comJohn Isono, 44, and Vernon Isono, 47, of Larry's Auto Parts entered into plea agreements on second-degree theft charges in November.
Judge Richard Perkins ordered the Isonos each to pay $3,333 in restitution, $100 to the crime victims compensation fund and a $2,500 fine. The Isonos will be able to clear their records if they abide by conditions similar to probation.
The Isonos cooperated with the city prosecutor's office in the investigation and prosecution of two supervisors at HPD's vehicle maintenance section who were buying auto parts for their own personal use, said Deputy Prosecutor Randal Lee.
Charges of bribing the supervisors for HPD's business were dropped. Second-degree theft and bribery are felonies that carry a five-year prison term.
The theft occurred between July 1993 and August 1999.
The civilian supervisors, Winston Owan and Victor Hasebe, were accused of funneling about 75 percent of the business in exchange for kickbacks to Larry's, which sold parts at 30 percent more than what other vendors would have charged. Larry's was not on the city's approved vendor list.
Because of the scheme, the city was overcharged for auto parts, prosecutors said.
In November, Owan agreed to a plea deal and pleaded no contest to theft charges for purchasing auto parts at inflated prices for kickbacks. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 10. Hasebe has said he will change his not-guilty plea in June, Lee said.