Things just got real shady on the island, fam. Michael Vaituulala, a 53-year-old lieutenant with the Maui Police Department, was popped by feds today. He’s up on charges of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud — fancy talk for taking bribes.
The story goes, this top cop was runnin’ protection for some seriously sketchy operations: chicken fights and drug deals, no less. The boys in blue are supposed to bust these folks, not take their money to look the other way. But that’s exactly what Vaituulala allegedly did.
United States Attorney Ken Sorenson made it official: “This case sends a clear message — law enforcement is here to serve and protect, not to exploit and betray.”