Hawaii gang enforcer gets 30 years, ending landmark case

Lance Bermudez terrorized Honolulu through drive-by shootings and armed robberies as part of the notorious Miske Enterprise criminal organization.

By Jeremy Yurow, Court House News, July 14, 2025

HONOLULU (CN) — Lance Bermudez, the final co-defendant in the sprawling racketeering case against the "Miske Enterprise," was sentenced Monday to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in the criminal organization that terrorized Hawaii's underworld for decades.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson, a Barack Obama appointee, imposed the sentence during a hearing at the Prince Kuhio Federal Building in Honolulu.

"The defendant was running amok and for about a year. That timeframe, that timeframe being in the 2016–2017 era, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that he terrorized this city and this county to a greater extent than anyone I can remember, and I've lived here a long time," Watson said.

The sentencing marks the conclusion of a yearslong federal prosecution that dismantled one of Hawaii's most notorious criminal enterprises. Bermudez was the last of 14 co-defendants to be sentenced in connection with the organization led by Michael Miske Jr., who died in federal custody in December 2024.

Bermudez pleaded guilty in September 2022 to racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and armed robbery. The drug charge carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, while the racketeering and robbery charges each carried maximum sentences of 20 years.

During Monday's hearing, prosecutors detailed Bermudez's extensive criminal conduct and argued for a sentence of 27 years and three months, citing his role as a violent enforcer within the enterprise.

"It's hard to wrap your head around just how much crime Mr. Bermudez has committed in this case. As detailed in the PSR, he committed 18 racketeering crimes over about a one-year period. The vast majority of those crimes were violent," government attorney Michael Nammar said.

He described how Bermudez committed three drive-by shootings, agreed to murder a victim for $16,000 and conducted eight armed robberies where "victims were either tied up, pistol-whipped, stomped, punched or had firearms pointed at them."

Defense attorney Myles Breiner argued for a shorter sentence, emphasizing his client's cooperation and the threats he faced for testifying against Miske.

"During that time period, Mr. Bermudez has been the target of threats, repeated threats, threats that he takes very seriously. Enough so that he asked that I ask the court that following today's proceeding, we not take him back to the federal detention center," Breiner said. 

Bermudez, also known as "Hammah," addressed the court directly, offering a brief statement of remorse.

"I'm sorry for my actions and apologize," Bermudez said. "I'm going to dedicate my life to prison, to drug treatment and anger management. I want to get my certificate and spend my time in prison in the best way I can to change my life."

According to court documents, Bermudez had established himself as a "shooter" in Hawaii's criminal underworld by late 2015 when Miske approached him with a contract killing proposal. Miske wanted Bermudez to kill a Waimanalo man whom he believed was cooperating with FBI investigators.

Bermudez became closely associated with other key figures in the Miske organization, including Jacob "Jake" Smith, who was paid to assault victims on Miske's orders, and John Stancil, Miske's younger half-brother. Bermudez also appeared to mentor Dae Han Moon, the youngest of Miske's co-defendants.

Bermudez's cooperation agreement with prosecutors required him to provide information about Miske and other defendants in exchange for dropping several charges and recommending a three-level reduction in his sentence for accepting responsibility.

Initially housed on the mainland for his protection after his September 2022 guilty plea, Bermudez was returned to the Honolulu Federal Detention Center following Miske's death and the completion of sentencing for all other co-defendants.

Despite expectations that Bermudez's testimony would be critical in tying Miske to various criminal activities, prosecutors did not call him to testify during Miske's trial after he refused to honor his cooperation agreement. Nevertheless, Miske was convicted in July 2024 of 13 charges, including racketeering conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering in connection with Fraser's killing.

Miske died on Dec. 1, 2024, while awaiting sentencing at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center. The medical examiner determined he died from fentanyl toxicity.

Watson rejected the defense's request for the 10-year minimum sentence, calling it "outrageous, ridiculous, arrogant" and noting that "one loses all credibility with the court when you come in with that kind of asinine recommendation."

The Miske Enterprise case began as an FBI investigation in 2013 and resulted in charges against each defendant. The organization was accused of engaging in racketeering, murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and drug trafficking across Hawaii.

With Bermudez's sentencing complete, the federal prosecution of the Miske Enterprise has concluded. The case stands as one of the most significant organized crime prosecutions in Hawaii’s history.