HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Milton Choy, a former Hawaii businessman who was serving time on a bribery conviction, died in a mainland federal prison medical facility Saturday, his attorney's office has confirmed.
Choy was sentenced last fall to three and a half years behind bars for a case involving $2 million in payoffs to a Maui County official, Stewart Stant, to arrange no-bid contract awards totaling more than $19 million to Choy's wastewater company H2o Process Systems.
Separately, Choy cooperated with federal authorities in investigations of former state Sen. Kalani English and former state Rep. Ty Cullen, who each pled guilty to honest services wire fraud. According to documents in the lawmakers' cases, Choy facilitated trips, perks and cash to get lawmakers to help manage pending legislation in Choy's favor.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Choy was incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center Butner, in North Carolina, at the time of his passing. Such institutions are where ill inmates are moved when receiving treatments.
Choy had stage 4 cancer and was found unresponsive at the medical facility, according to his attorney Michael Green.
He was applying for early release from prison due to his medical condition. Choy's term would otherwise have ended in 2026.
Choy was 61 years old.