On Friday, March 4, 2022, 40 year-old Kapena Kapono Kuahiwinui of Mountain View was sentenced in Kona Circuit Court to the maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for habitual DUI.

On December 23, 2021, a Kona jury found Kuahiwinui Guilty as charged of Habitually Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant (“Habitual OVUII (DUI)”) which is a class C felony offense.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kate Perazich and the lead investigators were Officers Brian Beckwith, South Kohala Patrol, and Adam Cho, Area II Vice Section, formerly of Kona Patrol, Hawai‘i Police Department.

In a statement Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen said, “Today’s sentencing communicates the seriousness of these types of offenses and our Office’s commitment to hold offenders accountable for their selfish choice to drive while impaired and jeopardize the safety of our community. Impaired driving has contributed to several tragic recent events and should serve as a reminder to all to think before you decide to drink and drive.”

Photo credit: Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office