Posted on: Tuesday, June 7, 2005

Appeal keeps police officer in custody

By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer

The scheduled release on bail of a Honolulu police officer facing federal narcotics-dealing charges was delayed a week yesterday after prosecutors appealed the matter to U.S. District Chief Judge David Ezra.

A federal magistrate had ruled Friday that Robert Sylva, 49, in custody since his arrest in late March, could post a $25,000 bond and be released to the custody of fellow HPD officer William Lurbe, 44.

The U.S. attorney's office appealed that decision to Ezra, arguing that Lurbe has had his own problems with the law and was not qualified to supervise Sylva.

Ezra set a hearing on the matter for yesterday but it was put off a week because of attorney scheduling conflicts.

Sylva's attorney, Alvin Nishimura, said the officer began suffering depression after his life was "devastated" by the deaths of his parents and 12-year-old son.

Sylva is charged with selling crystal methamphetamine to a confidential informant, including once while he was in his police uniform. Nishimura said Sylva is not a drug user but obtained methamphetamine for his girlfriend and needs psychiatric counseling and alcohol-abuse treatment not available to him in federal detention.