25th Infantry deputy nominated for general
The 25th Infantry Division deputy commander in charge of operations has been nominated for a star as a brigadier general, the Pentagon has announced.
Col. John P. "Pete" Johnson served in combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before being assigned to Schofield Barracks.
Johnson was commissioned as a second lieutenant from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1985.
He is a former battalion commander with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., and deployed to Iraq. As head of operations and training for the 82nd in 2005, he took part in disaster relief operations during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
He deployed to Afghanistan as commander of the 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky. He went to Afghanistan again as the division’s chief of staff.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Former lender gets 2-year term for tax evasion
A former Maui mortgage lender was sentenced to two years in prison Monday for tax evasion, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Michael Eric Stewart, 73, owner and operator of Infinity Mortgage, owed $476,265 in taxes for income earned from 2001 to 2006 from his mortgage business.
In addition to the prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway ordered Stewart to pay restitution of $476,265 to the Internal Revenue Service.
The indictment alleged that Stewart transferred $788,000 earned through his mortgage business into a Nevada bank account. The indictment said Stewart later transferred more than $345,000 of that into his Hawaii bank account, from which, according to a plea agreement, he wrote checks totaling $280,000 payable to himself or to cash.
Brain injury killed landlord on Hawaii isle
A Puna man whom police say was murdered died of an injury to the brain caused by blunt force trauma, Hawaii County police said.
An autopsy was conducted Tuesday on James V. Johns Sr., 54, of Nanawale Estates.
Police arrested a 36-year-old Pahoa man Monday on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of Johns, the suspect’s landlord.
Johns’ body was found in his home just after 5 p.m. Sunday. Police earlier Sunday had responded to a report of a disturbance at the home. Police Lt. Greg Esteban said Johns suffered severe head injuries, and said officers recovered what is believed to be the weapon.
Esteban said Johns lived in a separate building from the rental unit.
Police ask that anyone with information on this incident to contact Detective Norbert Serrao at 961-2383 or nserrao@ co.hawaii.hi.us.
