Two state sheriff’s deputies have been arrested in the past week as part of an ongoing investigation into incidents of harassment and inappropriate conduct involving a Black trainee.

Erich R. Mitamura, 40, was booked at 10 a.m. Tuesday by the Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Investigations Division and released pending investigation.

On June 18, Deputy Sheriff Alvin Turla, 47, was arrested on the same allegation related to the treatment of a co-worker.

Mitamura and Turla are among eight sheriff’s deputies who have had their law enforcement powers restricted and are on paid leave in connection with the ongoing investigation.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division “enforces federal laws that protect you from discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, disability status, sex, religion, familial status, or loss of other constitutional rights.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation would not “confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.”

“The FBI stands ready to assist our law enforcement partners if they should require our assistance,” read a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser from the FBI’s Honolulu Division.

Both Mitamura and Turla are assigned to the Capitol- Central Patrol Division. Neither has been charged in the case.

Oversight of the sheriff’s division was transferred to the state Department of Law Enforcement on Jan. 1.

After the transfer there were instances of alleged misconduct by a number of deputies that were brought to the attention of leadership.

The Criminal Investigation Division and DLE’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the allegations, which resulted in Turla’s and Mitamura’s arrests on suspicion of harassment.

The state investigation into inappropriate conduct in the workplace that rises to the level of alleged criminal misconduct is ongoing.

Two other incidents are being investigated by DLE’s CID, and deputies “will take appropriate action when the time comes,” Jordan Lowe, director of the state Department of Law Enforcement, told the Star-Advertiser in an interview.

Lowe declined to discuss details of the harassment allegations or two other incidents, citing an ongoing criminal investigation. The public should have “full confidence” in the roughly 300 deputies working statewide, he said.

“Our deputies are law enforcement professionals that are there to protect and serve the public. The administration will not tolerate misconduct,” said Lowe.

Turla was named in a Nov. 14, 2019, whistleblower civil complaint by fellow deputy Ralph Fukumoto that accused Sheriff’s Division leadership of overlooking deputies assigned to the Capitol-Central Patrol Division sleeping on the job, abusing special-duty and sick leave, inappropriately using work computers, hiding out instead of patrolling and other allegations.

It is not the first time Turla has been accused of harassment.

Turla allegedly “mocked and harassed” Fukumoto and acted “inappropriately and in violation of the computer usage policy uploaded at least one unprofessional, inappropriate and harassing screen saver” on Fukumoto’s workstation with messages mocking him.

Fukumoto allegedly told his superior that his “preliminary investigation reports concerning Turla were being disregarded and not followed up on. Turla has walked by (Fukumoto) humming and singing musical lyrics that taunt, mock and harass” him.

Turla allegedly posted false statements online about Fukumoto that painted him as a “criminal.”

Turla alleged that Fukumoto “lacked integrity” and that “deputies are afraid to work for or with Fukumoto due to his history of illegal searches on homeless people and making drug cases off of those searches.”

Turla later walked back the statements.

Fukumoto claimed he suffered “job insecurity, loss of earnings and benefits, humiliation, emotional distress, and mental and physical anguish” as a result of Turla’s treatment of him.

“Mr. Turla, an experienced and decorated law enforcement professional with over 10 years of work experience with the DPS, has conducted himself professionally, reasonably, and civilly at all times while working with Plaintiff. As such, Mr. Turla denies all of Plaintiff’s allegations supporting Plaintiff’s claims against Mr. Turla,” wrote Turla’s attorney Anthony “T.J.” Quan in a responsive pretrial statement filed in the case in April 2021. “With regard to the claimed ‘defamatory’ statements Plaintiff alleges Mr. Turla made publicly online, Mr. Turla has testified under oath that he did not make or post those statements and maintains that he did not defame Plaintiff.”

The case was settled April 9 for an undisclosed amount and terms.

The mission of the Sheriff Division is to “preserve the peace by protecting all persons and property within premises under the control of the Judiciary and all State facilities; providing process services and execution of court documents; handling detained persons; and providing secure transportation for persons in custody. It also provides law enforcement services” at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.