A Maui police lieutenant is facing federal corruption charges after reportedly taking payments to look the other way during cockfights.
Michael Vaitu‘ulala, a 17-year veteran of the Maui Police Department, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he was accused of using his position with the MPD to protect lawbreakers from prosecution.
According to a criminal complaint filed Thursday, Vaitu‘ulala was charged after an FBI investigation in which multiple witnesses described how the officer helped to arrange illegal cockfights for years and took cash payments to ensure the fights would go on without police enforcement in 2025.
One witness told the FBI investigator that he paid Vaitu‘ulala a percentage of the proceeds from the chicken fights he ran; according to one witness, “the low end of the payments” to Vaitu‘ulala for an event was about $3,000. Another cockfight organizer would pay Vaitu‘ulala out of pocket for “thousands of dollars.”
Vaitu‘ulala also allegedly took a trip to Las Vegas with one of the cockfight organizers, who gave the lieutenant “the most money he had ever given [him] in a single payment.” Vaitu‘ulala reportedly gambled more than $30,000 at blackjack that trip.
When arranging these transactions, Vaitu‘ulala would reportedly insist on communicating using apps like Instagram or Facetime on burner phones specifically to avoid detection by law enforcement.
However, Vaitu‘ulala also allegedly used his position at the MPD to warn people about pending investigations into other illegal activities since at least 2019.
In February 2025, one of the cockfight organizers attempted to ship cocaine and methamphetamine from San Diego to Maui, a shipment that was intercepted by the United States Postal Inspection Service. During the subsequent investigation, Vaitu‘ulala reportedly provided confidential information of the investigation to the cockfight organizer.
In another case, Vaitu‘ulala reportedly told someone that the Drug Enforcement Administration had plans to set up a wiretap on that person’s phone and, later, that there was a warrant for that person’s arrest.
According to witnesses, Vaitu‘ulala tried to position himself as a major crime figure on Maui: one witness said Vaitu‘ulala wanted to be the “Larry Mehau” of Maui, referring to a Hawai‘i Island businessman and former police officer alleged in the 1970s to be “the godfather of Hawai‘i organized crime.”
That same witness said “everybody” pays Vaitu‘ulala, and another said he would pay the lieutenant — “generally $3,000 or more,” according to the criminal complaint — to avoid arrests for selling drugs, or to avoid a DUI charge.
“[Vaitu‘ulala] has demonstrated that — even as a law enforcement officer — his loyalties lie not with the Maui Police Department … but with the drug traffickers and other criminals he shielded from prosecution,” read a motion by Ken Sorenson, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai‘i.
Following Vaitu‘ulala’s charge, the MPD has placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
“We recognize that allegations involving law enforcement personnel can erode public confidence,” read an MPD statement. “Maintaining the trust of our community requires accountability, appropriate transparency, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. When allegations involve one of our employees, we have a responsibility to address those matters promptly, fairly, and in accordance with the law and established procedures.”
MPD can make no further comment on an active criminal matter.
If convicted, Vaitu‘ulala faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
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