By Gina Tabonares
Variety News Staff

FORMER Sen. Thomas V.C. Tanaka, one of the former government officials who were sentenced last year for misprision of felony, left on Saturday for Las Vegas and California for more than two weeks of business and personal trips.
Tanaka left Guam after the District Court granted his request to attend a Vemma Convention in Las Vegas and visit his son in San Diego, California.
He is expected to return on Feb. 22.
The former Republican speaker entered a plea agreement in April 2003 and was sentenced on Oct. 27, 2005 with businessman John Martinez for participating in a scheme to backdate a federal bus shelter contract paid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after 1997’s Supertyphoon Paka.
He received a 24-month probation with conditions to stay at home with electronic monitoring device.
After being restricted to his home for six months, he was released from his electronic monitoring device and was approved by the U.S. Probation Office to travel.