Hawaiʻi County Officer Blane Kenolio Enters No-Contest Plea, Seeks Deferred Acceptance

Hawaiʻi County police Officer Blane Kenolio entered a no-contest plea to one criminal charge of Tampering with Physical Evidence and asked a court on February 25, 2026, to accept the plea on a deferred basis, the Attorney General’s office said. The filing was disclosed by the Attorney General’s office after Kenolio entered the plea during a court proceeding.

Kenolio is identified in the Attorney General’s office notice as a Hawaiʻi County police officer; the charge listed in the filing is Tampering with Physical Evidence. The plea was entered as part of a court proceeding in which Kenolio requested deferred acceptance of the plea, according to the Attorney General’s office statement issued after the Feb. 25 proceeding.

The Attorney General’s office issued the notice that detailed the plea and the deferred acceptance request but did not provide additional specifics about the alleged tampering incident or the underlying facts of the case. The office’s announcement confirmed the procedural step taken on Feb. 25, 2026, without listing a sentencing date, employment status outcomes, or conditions tied to the deferred acceptance request.

Because Kenolio formally sought deferred acceptance at the Feb. 25 court proceeding, the next steps will hinge on the court’s decision to grant or deny that request, the Attorney General’s office release indicates. The Attorney General’s office release also serves as the primary public statement about the plea and the request for deferred acceptance filed by Kenolio on February 25, 2026.

No quotes accompanied the Attorney General’s office release, and the office’s notice did not specify a future court date or administrative actions by Hawaiʻi County police regarding Officer Blane Kenolio. The case record, as described in the Attorney General’s office announcement, remains focused on the no-contest plea to Tampering with Physical Evidence and the pending request for deferred acceptance made during the Feb. 25 proceeding.