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Date: 12-03-2020

Case Style:

United States of America v. Louis Kealoha and Katherine Kealoha

Case Number: 1:17-cr-00582-JMS-WRP

Judge: J. Michael Seabright

Court: United States District Court for the District of Hawaii (Honolulu County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office, Honolulu, Hawaii

Defendant's Attorney:


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Description: Honolulu, Hawaii obstruction of justice criminal defense lawyers represented defendants, Louis Kealoha and Katherine Kealoha.

Former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, former Honolulu prosecutor Katherine Kealoha, were sentenced in federal court this week to 84 months and 156 months in prison, respectively, for a range of criminal conduct, including framing their relative with a crime to conceal their own fraud. Additionally, the Kealohas’ co-conspirators, former Honolulu police officers Derek Wayne Hahn and Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen, received 42 months and 54 months, respectively, for their involvement in the conspiracy.

Chief U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright of the District of Hawaii handed down the sentences, remarking that the conspiracy was “staggering in its breadth, its scope, and its audacity.” He stated further that “the impact on the community is clear: The conduct of the defendants has shaken the community and its trust in the Honolulu Police Department.”

The sentences mark the end of one of the largest public corruption cases in Hawaii history. In June 2019, after six weeks of trial and one day of deliberation, a federal jury in Honolulu convicted the Kealohas, Hahn, and Nguyen of conspiracy and attempted obstruction of justice pertaining to the false arrest and prosecution of Katherine’s uncle, Gerard Puana. The evidence at trial established that the conspirators used their considerable power, including commandeering the Honolulu Police Department’s elite Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU), to frame Gerard with stealing the Kealohas’ mailbox. Hahn and Nguyen were both members of CIU, which acted directly at the behest of Louis Kealoha. The Kealohas’ motive for framing Gerard was to discredit and intimidate him after he accused Katherine of stealing money from him and his elderly mother—Katherine’s grandmother. The evidence at trial demonstrated that the Kealohas took and spent over $148,000 of the grandmother’s money in just a six-month period, with payments going towards expenses such as mortgage payments, Elton John concert tickets, Mercedes and Maserati car payments, a trip to Disneyland, and a $23,976 brunch tab at the Sheraton Waikiki to celebrate Louis Kealoha’s induction as Honolulu Police Chief in 2009.

Once Gerard started voicing claims of fraud, the Kealohas moved to silence him by falsely accusing him of a felony offense. To frame Gerard, the conspirators prepped the Kealohas’ mailbox to be “stolen,” selectively edited grainy surveillance video to conceal their preparatory acts, falsely identified Gerard as the culprit captured by the video, falsified police reports, withheld and destroyed evidence, and repeatedly lied about their activity to investigators, the federal grand jury, and the District Court for the District of Hawaii. This all occurred while Louis Kealoha was Honolulu’s Police Chief and while Katherine Kealoha was a high-ranking Honolulu prosecutor.

“This was a flagrant and stunning abuse of power that victimized an entire community by undermining public confidence in its leaders and the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “After years of manipulating the levers of justice to shroud their own crimes, justice has been delivered to these defendants.” Brewer praised FBI agents and Special Attorneys Michael Wheat, Joseph Orabona, Janaki Chopra, and Colin McDonald for achieving justice in this case after many years of tenacious investigation and skillful litigation.

“Our citizens entrust public servants with great powers and authorities. It is our responsibility to serve our community with integrity and authenticity – with truth and justice as our hallmark,” said Special Agent in Charge Eli S. Miranda. “The Kealohas betrayed this trust for their own selfish entitlements, using deception and breaking the same laws they swore to uphold. The FBI will enthusiastically continue to investigate any corrupt public official who willfully and maliciously abuse their office.”

In addition to their custodial sentences, Katherine Kealoha and Louis Kealoha were ordered to pay $454,984.78 and $237,698.56, respectively, in restitution to their victims, and ordered to forfeit property representing proceeds of fraud, including the Kealohas’ former home in Honolulu, a Rolex watch, and $228,746.79. Katherine Kealoha is already in custody; Louis Kealoha, Hahn, and Nguyen were ordered to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on April 12, 2021.

DEFENDANTS

Louis M. Kealoha Age: 60 Honolulu, Hawaii

Katherine P. Kealoha Age: 50 Honolulu, Hawaii
Derek Wayne Hahn Age: 48 Honolulu, Hawaii

Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen Age: 46 Kaneohe, Hawaii

SUMMARY OF CONVICTIONS

Louis Kealoha

CR No. 17-00582-JMS-WRP

Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the United States – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371

Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine

Obstruction of Official Proceeding – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1512(c) (three counts)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine

CR No. 18-00068-JMS-WRP

Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344

Maximum Penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine

Katherine Kealoha

CR No. 17-00582-JMS-WRP

Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the United States – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371

Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine

Obstruction of Official Proceeding – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1512(c) (three counts)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine

CR No. 18-00068-JMS-WRP

Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344

Maximum Penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine

Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A

Maximum Penalty: Mandatory term of imprisonment of two years, to be served consecutive to the sentence imposed for any underlying charge; fine of up to $250,000

CR No. 19-00015 JMS-WRP

Misprision of Felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4

Maximum Penalty: Three years in prison; fine of up to $250,000

Derek Wayne Hahn and Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen

CR No. 17-00582-JMS-WRP

Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the United States – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371

Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine

Obstruction of Official Proceeding – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1512(c) (three counts)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine

AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Honolulu, Portland, and San Diego Divisions

Outcome: Katherine P. Kealoha, also known as
Katherine E. Kealoha
also known as
Kathy Kealoha
also known as
Kat
also known as
Alison Lee Wong:

Sentence: Imprisonment: 132 MONTHS as to each of Counts 2, 6, and 8 under CR17-582 and Count 3 under CR18-68; 60 MONTHS as to Count 1 under CR17-582; and 36 MONTHS as to Count 2 under CR19-15, with all counts to run concurrently to each other; and 24 MONTHS as to Count 10 under CR18-68, to run consecutively to all other counts, for a total sentence of 156 MONTHS. Supervised Release: 5 YEARS as to Count 3 under CR18-68; 3 YEARS as to each of Counts 1, 2, 6, and 8 under CR17-582; 1 YEAR as to each of Count 10 under CR18-68 and Count 2 under CR19-15, with all counts to run concurrently. Mandatory, Standard and Special Conditions of Supervised Release. Fine: None imposed. Restitution: $454,984.78. Special Assessment: $700.00 ($100.00 per count). Mittimus Forthwith.

Louis M. Kealoha:

Sentence: Imprisonment: 84 MONTHS as to each of Counts 2, 6, and 8 under CR17-582 and Count 4 under CR18-68; and 60 MONTHS as to Count 1 under CR17-582, with all counts to run concurrently; Supervised Release: 3 YEARS as to each count, with all counts to run concurrently. Fine: None imposed; Restitution: $237,698.56; Special Assessment: $500.00 ($100.00 per count); Mandatory, Standard, and Special Conditions of Supervised Release; Mittimus stayed until 04/12/2021.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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