Name in the News: Kenji Price

Kenji Price, the U.S. attorney for the District of Hawaii, got involved in public service by following his family’s example.

His grandfather served with other Japanese-American soldiers in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II; his parents worked for the state Department of Education. Price himself served as an Army Ranger in combat roles in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars over four tours of duty.

Price, a graduate of Gonzaga University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, worked as a federal prosecutor in New York, where he handled federal criminal cases, including those involving public corruption and drug trafficking.

“Serving the public is in my DNA,” said Price, 38, who will mark his first year in office next month (although he served as interim U.S. attorney beginning in January 2018).

Price’s office has been in the headlines recently, with prosecutions ranging from the illegal diversions of pharmaceutical drugs, including opioids; shark-fin smuggling in Hawaii; and the strange case of Ikaika Erik Kang, a former Schofield Barracks soldier who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State terrorist group, including a reported desire to “commit a shooting downtown and in Waikiki.”

Price, a Mililani High School grad, practiced law with local firms Carlsmith Ball and Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing before President Donald Trump appointed him to his current post in February 2018. He was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate and sworn into office on May 1, 2018. As U.S. attorney for Hawaii, Price heads an office that investigates and prosecutes federal crimes, and defends U.S. interest in civil litigation, under the auspices of the U.S. Attorney General.

“I did not have any idea that life would take me in this direction,” Price said, who is married to Jennifer Price, an architect. He credited his parents and teachers who helped him to “maximize the potential I believe was God-given.”

Price is a self-described voracious reader of the Bible and other books (“Leadership: In Turbulent Times,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin, was a recent favorite), and notes the influence of the written word on his interest in law: “I enjoy the process of thinking critically about challenging issues and advocating a position in writing or verbally.”

Even so, he also enjoys movies and TV shows — “especially Marvel comics.”

Question: What are your top priorities as U.S. attorney for Hawaii?

Answer: My top priorities are employing all investigative and prosecutorial tools at my disposal to promote the national security interests of the United States, reducing violent crime in Hawaii, disrupting the illegal distribution of drugs in Hawaii, and rooting out corruption at all levels of government in Hawaii.

Q: What are the biggest law enforcement challenges facing your office at this time?

A: One of them is adapting to existing and evolving technologies. While technological advancements give law enforcement certain advantages in fighting crime, criminals often use developing technologies to evade detection and commit more crimes. Prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges must apply existing laws, rules and legal principles to resolve complex legal issues raised by these continuing advances.

Q: Could the illegal sale of opioids in Hawaii become a bigger problem in the future?

A: Information available to me indicates that Hawaii does not have the high levels of opioid-related drug overdose deaths seen in many jurisdictions on the mainland, which is great news. However, it’s important that we don’t let our guard down with respect to opioid abuse. I work closely with law enforcement to raise awareness about the threat opioid abuse poses to our communities, and bring appropriate enforcement actions to discourage illegal opioid distribution.

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A few reasons why we must remain vigilant: Law enforcement officers in Hawaii are seizing the same highly dangerous drugs that kill thousands on the mainland; Hawaii has a sizable population of folks who struggle with drug addiction, and are thus at risk of exposure to dangerous drugs like fentanyl; and dangerous drugs have several paths into the homes of our friends and loved ones. Some illegal distributors use the dark web to sell them online, some distributors sell them on the streets, and unfortunately, a tiny group of wayward doctors prescribe them to vulnerable members of our community without a legitimate reason for doing so.

Q: Do opioids pose a more significant threat than other kinds of illegal drugs here, such as methamphetamine and marijuana?

A: The abuse of opioids, methamphetamine and marijuana are all serious threats to the health and safety of our communities. Certain substances are uniquely dangerous because of their potency — just two milligrams of fentanyl (a quantity the size of a few grains of salt) is enough to kill. Other drugs like methamphetamine and marijuana also pose significant risks to public health and safety, and we are working hard to mitigate those risks with our investigations and prosecutions.

Q: Marijuana in particular?

A: People in and outside the law enforcement community are starting to collect data about the impact of marijuana as a public health and safety issue. …We held a summit at my office, where we brought in a lot of stakeholders (dispensaries, financial services, medical services, state regulators). There are public safety concerns: impacts on adolescents, impacts on traffic safety, marijuana edibles. … I’ve been convinced that there are public health and safety concerns that should be addressed. I’m still learning and deciding how to tackle the issue in Hawaii.

Q: Can you bring us up to date on the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative in Hawaii?

A: Since last spring, when we rolled out the PSN program once again in Hawaii, we’ve built strong partnerships with our state and local partners and devoted substantial efforts to fighting violent crime and drug distribution in our communities. Last August, we worked closely with HPD and the DEA on an operation that resulted in the arrest of over a dozen individuals responsible for distributing drugs near Aala Park, a playground in Chinatown. We’ve also prosecuted a number of individuals responsible for unlawfully possessing firearms or using a firearm to further drug trafficking activities.

Q: Can you shed light on the federal subpoenas issued to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation?

A: Due to Department of Justice policy, I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.

Q: Is human sex trafficking a serious problem in Hawaii?

A: The sexual exploitation of children in various forms is a significant problem in Hawaii, and my office is committed to using its resources to hold those who prey on our young people accountable for their crimes. In the last two months alone, we’ve brought federal charges against five individuals for attempting to entice a minor to perform sexual acts, and we’ll continue to relentlessly pursue these kinds of cases.

Q: How much of a problem is illegal immigration in Hawaii?

A: Given Hawaii’s geographic isolation, the illegal immigration issues we face are somewhat different than those that border states face on the mainland. While we prosecute illegal re-entry cases, we also emphasize maintaining the integrity of the immigration system by rooting out fraud. Our district stringently processes applications for lawful permanent residency and citizenship.

While a majority of these applications are granted, some folks … attempt to obtain lawful permanent residency and citizenship through fraud. As a result, the federal law enforcement community in Hawaii devotes a fair amount of time and resources to investigating and prosecuting fraud and other misconduct in the immigration system.

Q:Is there anything else you’d like to say about your work as U.S. attorney for Hawaii?

A: Day in and day out I rely on the tremendous work of the highly competent and extremely dedicated attorneys and professional staff in my office. They are a fantastic group, and it’s a privilege to serve with each of them.

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I believe public service is an honor, and all who embark upon a career in public service have an unparalleled opportunity to protect a community — or nation — and leave the world a better place. It’s hard to imagine a more fulfilling way to earn a living.