Fired Honolulu police sergeant gets fine in plea deal

A Honolulu police sergeant who was charged with driving drunk and lying about being the driver was instead fined $500 for reckless driving in a plea deal.

Officers responding to a report of a car crashing into an electrical vault off Luna- lilo Home Road in the early morning of Nov. 17, 2016, found Albert F. Lee sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle. Lee was off duty at the time. He told his fellow officers that someone else was driving but that he didn’t know who because he was asleep. The officers did not arrest Lee or subject him to tests of his sobriety or blood alcohol concentration.

City prosecutors later charged Lee, 52, with operating a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant and making a false report to law enforcement authorities.

Lee pleaded no contest earlier this month to reckless driving, in place of the DUI. In exchange the city prosecutor dropped the misdemeanor false reporting charge. Both parties agreed to the $500 fine, and the state recommended that Lee perform up to 60 hours of community service.

Circuit Judge Edward Kubo immediately imposed the fine and 60 hours of community service.

The Honolulu Police Department fired Lee in May 2018.

Lee had previously sought to have the DUI and false reporting charges dismissed, claiming that he was being prosecuted in retaliation for arresting a convicted felon against the wishes of former Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha.

He said before he arrested Michael John Miske Jr. in December 2014 for refusing to comply with a lawful order of a police officer, Kealoha and another person from the city Department of the Prosecuting Attorney told one of his subordinate officers to leave Miske alone. He also said Kealoha told his subordinate that Miske was assisting the city prosecutor in another case.

At the time of the arrest, Miske owned Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control and a Restaurant Row nightclub. He has felony convictions for kidnapping, attempted assault, theft and credit card fraud, and was being prosecuted by the city for assault in connection with the beating of two people in a parking lot near the nightclub.

Thomas Otake, one of Miske’s lawyers, said Miske never met Kealoha in his life.

Lee also said he believes Kealoha was behind a complaint against him that resulted in him getting a written reprimand for not claiming overtime on the day he arrested Miske.