Wayne Inouye, former chief building inspector for Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) has been sentenced to five years in federal prison and fined $100,000 for taking $103,000 in bribes from an architect and two contractors between 2012 and 2017 to fast-track permits. Five DPP employees have now pleaded guilty in the bribery scheme; two have yet to be sentenced.

Revelations of internal corruption in the city’s dysfunctional DPP have been one prompt for current Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s pledge to reform the department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also expects Inouye’s sentence to send the firm message that corruption in public office will bring down the hammer of justice.