Lance L. Bermudez, a member of the Miske Enterprise, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy, robbery, and drug trafficking. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick K. Watson in Honolulu. Following his imprisonment, Bermudez will face five years of supervised release.
Bermudez had previously admitted to participating in a murder-for-hire conspiracy alongside Michael J. Miske and other members of the enterprise. Although the murder contract was later rescinded by Miske, Bermudez had agreed to commit the murder for $60,000 and made several attempts to carry it out. He also confessed to multiple attempted murders, armed robberies of drug dealers, and burning a van used in an abduction and murder.
Bermudez was charged along with twelve other defendants involved with the Miske Enterprise. All but Michael J. Miske pled guilty; Miske went to trial and was found guilty of multiple charges including racketeering conspiracy and murder.
Judge Watson remarked on the severity of Bermudez’s actions during sentencing, describing them as “brazenness” and “unprecedented.” Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson commented that Bermudez’s sentence marks the conclusion of their investigation into the Miske Enterprise’s activities.
David Porter from FBI Honolulu highlighted Bermudez’s role in violent crimes such as murder-for-hire and armed robbery. Adam Jobes from IRS Criminal Investigation noted that financial tracking played a key role in dismantling the organization. Homeland Security Investigations’ Lucy Cabral-DeArmas emphasized their commitment to prosecuting those who engage in violent criminal acts.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation involving multiple agencies including the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and others.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito were responsible for prosecuting this case.
