78
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Myron Thompson Academy principal Diana Oshiro, left, and elementary school vice principal Kurumi Kaapana-Aki
The principal of Myron B. Thompson Academy and her sister pleaded no contest and were sentenced, but won’t have to spend time in jail in connection with theft and records tampering charges.
Diana Oshiro, principal of the public charter school, pleaded no contest to one count of tampering with a government record; and her sister, vice principal Kurumi Kaapani-Aki, pleaded no contest to one count of theft in the second degree and one count of tampering with a government record. They appeared in court today before Circuit Judge Richard K. Perkins.
Because neither Oshiro nor Kaapani-Aki has a prior criminal record, prosecutors did not oppose their request for deferral of their sentences, which suspends jail time but imposes supervision. They will have the opportunity to have their guilty pleas and sentences cleared from their records.
Under a plea bargain, Oshiro was sentenced to one year deferral supervision. She must also complete 40 hours of community service, write a letter of apology to the governing board of the school, and pay court fees.
Kaapani-Aki was sentenced to four years deferral supervision for the felony theft charge and one year deferral supervision for tampering with a government record. She must also complete 75 hours of community service, write a letter of apology to the governing board, and pay court fees.
“As educators and leaders, the defendants were placed in leadership positions of trust. Their actions violated that trust and it is fitting that they are being held responsible,” said Attorney General Doug Chin in a press release.
Kaapana-Aki was charged with conducting a fraudulent scheme from May 22, 2007, to March 28, 2013, during which she took 119 hours of unauthorized paid leave that resulted in a $6,238.73 loss of public funds. The misdemeanor charge against both defendants for tampering with a government record stemmed from the sisters’ subsequent efforts to prepare official school leave forms to cover the 119 hours of unauthorized leave and backdate the forms to make it appear as though they had been prepared contemporaneously with the leave taken.
what a bunch of @#$%
One wonders if Kaapani-Aki still has her job at Hawaiian Air? She’ll have a lot more free time on her hands now.
Crime does pay!!!
How about returning the money they stole?
Plus a big fat fine!
should also investigate myron g. thompson.
40 hours community service and 75 for the other. They should be doing community service hours based on the amount of money they misappropriated!
If they stay out of trouble their records will be clean. If it was any of us, we would end up with the maximum sentence. This is so wrong. Are they related to someone?
AG Chin is too Christian-hearted 🙁
what a pair of beautiful sisters…
Way overdue on that eye exam, eh?
AS a Hawaiian, I think this deal is no deal for the public.
Am I misunderstanding you? But this is not a Hawaiian thing! This is a plain criminal act.
honu is saying that the court deal does not serve the public.
That’s wrong, they should not be granted deferral of sentences and guilty peas cleared from their record. Criminals are criminals forever.
Have they been terminated from the School?
That’s what I’ve been thinking. If not, they should be.
they should have been required to pay that money back if they haven’t already. Losers!
titas—they don’t do that in Hawaii, just like Hee!!!! It’s only taxpayer money–heck, if it were rail, who would have noticed???
Sad to say, they are the winners. Everyone else, losers.
“Contemporaneously”? What a great word!
thing is, many state and city departments allow employees to submit late or amended sick leave, vacation, comp time or other leave papers to cover missing shift work. 119 hours between them, however, is a red flag. still, the practice is accepted and continues today.
Again slap on the wrist. Guilt verdict and sentence can be wiped from their record. I wonder where they will pop up next. Probably politics.
Great comment papio – that made me laugh.
What a weak set of prosecutors our state has. Crime does pay in the state of Hawaii.
When it comes to theft, Hawaii is very lenient.
Once again, there is misguided justice in Hawaii……this sentence is a joke……no jail time for the egregious and blatant act they committed with the monies they took from the school…….what a farce!!!!
As a taxpayer I demand that they never work for the Department of Education or the Charter Schools ever again.
I agree and second that demand!
It’s not mentioned in the article, and I guess the courts don’t have jurisdiction over whom the DOE hires. Sickening.
Just like Dobelle, they could move shop to another state, do the same kukae again. And they probably will. Auwe.
Sadly, that’s probably what they will do once they complete their requirements and have their slate wiped clean. This time around they’ll know how to be better criminals as they’ve learned what didn’t entirely work.
Start calling Kathy Matayoshi the Superintendent of schools to complain at 5863313. If you start a phone tree and make this viral and they get a few hundred calls I think they will get the message and fire them and never let them work for any public school in the state of Hawaii ever again. That is my opinion.
Unfortunately your “opinion” is uninformed. You need to call Kathryn Payne, head of the Charter School Commission.
This only shows that CRIME PAYS IN HAWAII!
wow…..and I thought only Judge Kim gave out sweetheart sentences to school officials.
A felony charge for Kaapana-Aki should mean termination from Hawaiian Airlines.
The judge probably wanted free upgrade to first class on her flights.
But apparently not for the DOE.
Quit trying these criminals with kid gloves!
Diana Kaapana Oshiro would brag to us that “it is always easier to break the rules now and beg for forgiveness later.” I guess she was right.
Its always easier to ask forgiveness than beg for permission,
So it’s ok to steal taxpayer money from a school as long as you have no criminal record.
Worst part is she can do it again if and when her record is wiped clean.
Any word on Aki’s sons employed at the school? “Three of Kaapana-Aki’s sons were also on the school’s payroll, including one who was athletic director although the school had no sports teams and he did not teach the online PE course.”
$6238 for 119 hours of leave comes out to be $52/hr. Not bad pay if you can get it and apparently she did.
Now that they have plea bargained for no jail time which is outrageous in itself, I am outraged that the school’s board will remain in place despite supporting these criminals. They must have received the reports from the prosecutors of this case. Given their decision to support them despite the evidence is disturbing and they should not remain on the board as they lack the intelligence to oversee the school. I am totally amazed that they are allowed to keep their seats. I guess only in Hawaii do we tolerate such low level intelligence to run a school. If intelligence is not the issue, then it is even worse.
UNBELIEVABLE! What is wrong with our prosecutors??? Why are we letting them off so easy? 40 hrs of community service – what 5 days 8 hours a day. PAU. That’s it. She’s probably laughing inside at all of us.
Great moral lesson for the kids in their charge. Pinky’s quit spinning in his grave and will rise at midnight of the full moon to haunt the judiciary.
Why the judiciary? The two perps are the ones who should be haunted.
Gee-is that all these two will face for their gross fraudulent actions?? They should be removed from their positions and repay all funds they took and face prison time. How do they get this slap on the wrist ? They are guilty of wrong doing and even if they do have clean criminal records the are admitting guilt by pleading no-contest.
new school course: ” how to steal and get away with it 101″