Three people have been sentenced to prison in the US for their role in a multimillion-dollar scheme to bribe a public official in Hawaii in exchange for favorable treatment in affordable housing projects.Former businessman Rajesh Pankaj Budhbhatti, 65, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, while lawyer Gary Charles Zumber, 56, was sentenced to 70 months. Another lawyer, Paul Joseph Sulla, 79, was sentenced to 60 months. All three were convicted after a jury trial in the District of Hawaii in June 2025.The case centered on a conspiracy to bribe Alan Scott Rudo, a housing specialist with the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development. Prosecutors said the people paid bribes and kickbacks to gain approval for development agreements involving more than $11 million of affordable housing projects. Through these agreements the three used their companies to obtain land and affordable housing loans. However, despite promises to build houses for local residents, not a single unit has been constructed.The scheme involved approximately $2 million in bribes and kickbacks given or promised to public officials.Assistant Attorney General A. Tyson Duva said, “This was not just corruption – this was a calculated betrayal of the very community the defendants were supposed to serve.”He added: “Instead of building homes for struggling families looking for a better life, the defendants orchestrated a scheme to enrich themselves, paying out millions in bribes and kickbacks while pretending to help those in need. This kind of greed doesn’t just break the law – it erodes trust, damages institutions, robs honest businesses of opportunity, and harms American citizens.”FBI officials called the case a serious breach of public trust. Special Agent in Charge David Porter said, “This sentence is another step toward accountability for those who pollute the integrity of our government institutions with bribes and kickbacks.”Rudo pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators and has not yet been sentenced.
