A Hawaii man who was wrongfully held in a state psychiatric hospital for two years has been awarded $975,000 in compensation after authorities mistakenly identified him as another person. The case has raised concerns about police errors and mental health detentions in the United States.
Joshua Spriestersbach, 55, a resident of the City and County of Honolulu, will receive the payout after he was misidentified as Thomas Castleberry. In addition, state officials may pay him an extra $200,000 to settle related claims.
Innocent man gets $975K payout after he’s mistakenly locked in psych hospital for years Joshua Spriestersbach, 54, was awarded a $975,000 payout after he was wrongfully arrested and thrown in a Hawaii psychiatric hospital for years. https://t.co/C2N12UPlDI pic.twitter.com/wHtxRA9TXS
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNahNah) March 31, 2026
Spriestersbach was first detained by police in 2017 while waiting for food outside a shelter in Honolulu’s Chinatown. He had fallen asleep when officers approached and arrested him. Authorities believed he was wanted for a crime committed by Castleberry.
According to court filings cited by the New York Post, Castleberry had been incarcerated in Alaska since 2016, making it unlikely he could have committed the alleged offense. Spriestersbach spent four months at the Oahu Community Correctional Center before being transferred to Hawaii State Hospital, where he was held for two years and subjected to psychiatric treatment.
He later filed a lawsuit alleging false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The complaint outlines a series of earlier errors by police.
In 2011, officers misidentified him while he was sleeping at a school. At the time, he provided only his grandfather’s last name, Castleberry. Police linked him to a 2009 arrest warrant and detained him, despite his insistence that he was not the individual they were seeking.
In 2015, officers again confronted him at a park. This time, fingerprint testing confirmed he was not Castleberry. However, authorities failed to update their records, which led to his wrongful arrest again in 2017.
Joshua Spriestersbach, 55, is now set to receive a $975,000 payout from the City and County of Honolulu.
Spriestersbach also may receive a $200,000 settlement from the state to resolve legal claims against the Hawaii public defender’s office.https://t.co/869tXc17Cc
— Karen (@KaRen58044184) March 31, 2026
Spriestersbach said he repeatedly tried to correct the mistake by providing identification and explaining his identity, but officials did not believe him. According to the complaint, authorities instead labeled him “delusional” and “incompetent” because he refused to admit he was Castleberry.
He was released in January 2020. Legal experts say the case highlights serious gaps in record-keeping and accountability within law enforcement. Advocacy groups, including the Hawaii Innocence Project, say it also raises concerns about how individuals can be placed in psychiatric facilities without proper identification.
