A Honolulu man already on probation for a 2023 machete assault is now at the center of a new federal case, with prosecutors alleging he robbed an illegal game room at gunpoint. Federal court records and local reporting indicate the indictment, which had been under seal, was made public this month.
Federal Indictment Targets Alleged Armed Game Room Heist
The federal indictment, unsealed June 24, 2026, names Chris Hong Pham on counts that include robbery affecting interstate commerce under the Hobbs Act and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. According to the indictment and court records cited by the paper, Pham allegedly walked into an unlicensed gambling operation on Dec. 27, 2024, and took cash and other property at gunpoint.
Prior Gun Arrest Included Illegal Conversion Device
Before the game room case surfaced, Pham was arrested in March 2025 after officers said they found a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun with a defaced serial number, an extra magazine and a device designed to convert a pistol to fully automatic fire. The U.S. Attorney’s Office detailed the seizure in a March 14, 2025 press release. Local reporting also noted that investigators had reviewed an Instagram clip that appeared to show Pham firing an automatic handgun in public…