Parole board answers sought
By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer
State and federal investigations into charges of corruption in the Hawai'i Paroling Authority must be resolved, U. S. District Judge David Ezra said yesterday.
Ezra's comments came as he sentenced convicted drug dealer Gegham "Gary" Akopian, who has cooperated in the investigation, to 11 years in prison. Akopian faced a maximum sentence of 20 years, but Ezra knocked off time in return for his assistance in the investigations.
"If you cooperate with the government in a serious public corruption case, you will be provided with the appropriate benefit," Ezra said.
The parole board investigations center on allegations that former Paroling Authority chairman Al Beaver and former parole office Alana Delacruz arranged last year for Akopian to be discharged from state parole seven years early in return for financial favors.
Ezra urged "the U.S. Attorney, as well as the (Hawai'i) Attorney General, to allow these two individuals (Beaver and Delacruz) to clear their names, to pursue the investigations, and if there is evidence of wrongdoing to seek criminal indictments."
Beaver was placed on administrative leave in November and resigned in March, though he denied any wrongdoing and said he was set up by Delacruz.
Delacruz was fired last year. Neither has been charged with a criminal offense.
Yesterday, Deputy U.S. Attorney Loretta Sheehan asked Ezra for a reduction in Akopian's prison sentence because he had cooperated with authorities and provided credible information against Beaver and Delacruz.
Akopian's lawyer, Shanlyn Park, told Ezra she was "stunned and amazed" by the allegations made by Akopian against Delacruz and Beaver.
Akopian had been paroled to California after his release from prison in Hawai'i for drug and gun convictions, Park said.
Delacruz, who was parole officer to Akopian's wife, manipulated Akopian's parole to have him returned to Hawai'i, Park said.
Delacruz required Akopian to give her money that she knew came from drug dealing, and instructed him to assist Beaver in building his home and getting him countertops for his kitchen, Park told the judge.
The Advertiser earlier reported that Akopian paid some $10,000 in wedding expenses for Delacruz, and paid for her liposuction. Ezra said yesterday that Akopian also claimed to have paid for art classes for Delacruz's child.
Hawai'i Department of Public Safety deputy director James Propotnick told the U.S. Attorney's office that Akopian's information was truthful, Park told the judge. And Ezra said Akopian had passed a lie-detector test.
The judge said polygraph results were not admissible in court, and he was not "prejudging" the allegations against Beaver and Delacruz. But he said the charges are "so serious and so potentially damaging that it is absolutely critical that they be brought to a conclusion."
Beaver's attorney, Paul Cunney, could not be reached for comment yesterday. Delacruz could be not be reached for comment.
Earlier this year, another state prison parolee, AJ Neal III, was convicted in federal court of dealing drugs out of the back of Delacruz's car. Neal, who also cooperated in the parole board investigations, told authorities Akopian had bought the car, a late-model BMW, for Delacruz and then lent the vehicle to him.
Neal was facing 10 years in prison, but U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced him to five years after prosecutor Sheehan said Neal had "rendered substantial assistance to the government" and had received "very credible threats" as a result of that cooperation.
