A federal judge has sentenced former Honolulu police officer Roddy Takao Tsunezumi to nearly three years in prison for attempting to extort $15,000 from the husband and wife owners of a Honolulu hostess bar, calling what Tsunezumi did reprehensible.

The sentence, issued Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson will be followed by three years of supervised release. Watson also fined Tsunezumi $5,000.

Tsunezumi, 38, pleaded guilty to the extortion charge last July. He admitted that he tried to extort $15,000 from the bar owners, who had turned to him for protection. He resigned from his job with the Honolulu Police Department last April after nine years of service. 

Jeremy Javillo, who helped Tsunezumi carry out the attempted extortion, is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.