A newly released audio recording is now central to a civil case alleging misuse of criminal process inside Hawaii's Department of Law Enforcement. The tape reportedly captures Wayne Ibarra, who leads the department’s criminal investigations, telling a deputy he planned to arrest Lt. Mike Oakland if Oakland did not retire. The recording and related court filings have sharpened scrutiny of DLE’s handling of internal complaints and personnel decisions.
Hawaii News Now published the audio, reporting the tape was recorded last year by an unnamed deputy and includes Ibarra saying, "Before you called, I just got off the phone with the gov’s office and they’re ready to move on this thing." The story says Ibarra referenced Lt. Oakland’s wife, former state senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, and described a "political push" above the matter. The governor’s office told HNN it had no involvement in the personnel matter.
Lawsuits and the backstory
Two related sets of filings lay out the wider drama: a July whistleblower complaint and a separate suit filed by four deputies in October that alleges they were falsely arrested to blunt internal claims. Hawai'i Free Press reports the four deputies were arrested in June 2024 and that their attorney, Megan Kau, says the arrests should have been handled administratively, not criminally. The Free Press coverage ties those arrests to earlier litigation by First Deputy Lanikoa Dobrowolsky and to months of internal probes at DLE.
What’s on the tape
On the recording, the investigator appears to tie the threat of charges to outside influence, saying the "political push is above" and referencing talks with the governor’s office. Plaintiffs' lawyers say the audio helps prove their allegation that investigations were used to punish or silence employees who raised complaints. The tape has been added to the evidence the deputies' attorneys are now sharing in discovery requests.
Legal implications
The October complaint alleges abuse of process, two counts of infliction of emotional distress and negligent training and supervision, and it accuses the state and senior DLE officials of wrongdoing. Hawaii News Now reports the deputies say they lost overtime and special assignments while under restrictive duty and notes the state attorney general’s office had not been served with the complaint. The complaint warns that, if a jury sides with the plaintiffs, taxpayers could ultimately be on the hook for any judgment.
Agency response and next steps
The Department of Law Enforcement has declined to release personnel details, and Hawai'i Free Press quotes the Office of the Director saying, "Employee privacy interests and collective bargaining agreement provisions prevent the department from giving information" about misconduct or discipline. That story also reports some deputies were reinstated after a leadership change and that Ibarra is on leave pending review. The courts will now move into discovery as both sides prepare document requests and depositions.
The recording has given plaintiffs a tangible piece of evidence in a dispute that has been unfolding since mid-2024, and it has widened scrutiny of how DLE investigates its own staff. Expect the case to play out in state court as attorneys on both sides test how much of the department’s internal work was used for political ends.
