Michael Buntentah, one of Mike Miske’s original co-defendants, is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, November 20, in Judge Derrick Watson’s courtroom.

Buntenbah was originally charged with drug trafficking for his role in a 2014 cocaine buy in California that went sideways when law enforcement intercepted several cars carrying Buntenbah and another Miske associate, Wayne Miller, to a San Francisco Bay Area airport along with a load of about 5 kilos of cocaine.

At the time, Buntenbah was part of a group providing security at Miske’s M Nightclub near downtown Honolulul.

He was also charged with assault in aid of racketeering for taking part in at least four attacks against customers at Miske’s nightclub.

He was released on bond in October 2020 after providing a $500,000 secured mortgage as security.

In March 2022, he pleaded guilty to the assault in aid of racketeering charge and admitted he had conspired with Miske and others, including Miske’s half-brother, John Stancil, to commit the assaults.

Buntenbah remained free on bond pending sentencing until January 2024, when he was involved in the assault of several people in a bar in Waikiki’s International Marketplace. He was arrested for violating the terms of his parole, and his release was revoked by Judge Watson.

In addition, Watson order that the mortgage put up to secure his bond be forfeited. It had previously been reduced to $250,000 from the original $500,000, and Watson ordered the entire amount to be forfeited.

In total, Buntenbah served about three months in detention until being released on bond, and then an additional ten months since his arrest in January.

The maximum sentence on the federal assault charge is three years.

The main sentencing decision is likely to be whether to credit that period of time served towards whatever sentence Watson imposes.

Buntenbah also faces sentencing next month in state court on a pair of 2nd degree assault charges, both Class C felonies, for the January 2016 assault on two men at Miske’s nightclub. He entered a plea of “no contest” to the charges in 2022, but his sentencing was put off pending resolution of the federal charges. Each of these felony assault charges is punishable by up to five years in prison.

See:

“Miske sought cocaine supply deal with Mexican source, prosecutors say“

“Defend Hawaii” owner pleads guilty in Miske racketeering case”

“Memorandum of Plea Agreement by Michael Buntenbah”

“The Miske case started with a secret indictment“

“The Miske case started with a secret indictment (Part 2)”

“Defend Hawaii owner back in federal custody after instigating a Waikiki brawl”