Home / Crime and Justice / Hawaii Housing Scheme Nets $11M, No Homes Built
Hawaii Housing Scheme Nets $11M, No Homes Built
31 May
Summary
- A housing specialist received nearly four years in prison.
- He accepted bribes for $11 million in affordable housing deals.
- No affordable housing units were constructed by the accused.
Alan Scott Rudo, a 59-year-old former Hawaii County housing specialist, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $483,265 in restitution. Rudo participated in a seven-year scheme involving bribes exchanged for awarding more than $11 million in affordable housing development agreements. He has since sold $1.4 million in real estate to help cover his debts and reported to prison in Oregon.
The conspiracy involved two Hawaii attorneys and a California businessman, who were also sentenced for their roles in illegally acquiring land and excess affordable housing credits. Despite orchestrating deals worth millions, no affordable housing units were ever constructed by the involved companies. These companies instead sold off the affordable housing credits for profit. Rudo testified against his co-conspirators, Paul Joseph Sulla, Gary Charles Zamber, and Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti, who were convicted in 2025. Zamber received 70 months, Budhabhatti 90 months, and Sulla 60 months in prison. Rudo accepted responsibility for his actions, expressing remorse for betraying community trust.
