Basin, a Ukraine-born candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives running as a Democrat, was arrested in Hawaii after a knife fight and could face up to ten years in prison, RIA Novosti journalists reported.
Why Hawaii law raises the stakes
Under Hawaii law, using a knife during a fight significantly changes how the incident is assessed legally. That is why Basin was charged with counts that together could carry a combined sentence of up to ten years.
Prosecutors could toughen their case further. If a court finds that Basin's threats to use a firearm aggravate his guilt, the episode would be reclassified as an especially serious offense, changing the article under which he is sentenced.
How the beach fight started
It was reported earlier that the Ukrainian-born candidate running for the U.S. Congress was arrested for a knife fight and accused of threatening physical violence. The confrontation began when someone asked him to turn down music on a beach, and it ended with the man threatening to use a weapon.
