FBI seizes computers from city Prosecutor’s Office in Kealoha case
STAR-ADVERTISER
Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, Katherine.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro.
FBI agents served the Honolulu’s Prosecutor’s Office with a search warrant today as part of the ongoing federal corruption investigation involving the city’s outgoing police chief and a deputy prosecutor, officials said.
The move allowed the FBI to search servers at the office one day after a federal judge took possession of two work-related laptops belonging to Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha, according to her attorney, Myles Breiner. Kealoha and her husband, outgoing Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, have been embroiled in a grand jury investigation into alleged conspiracy and corruption that centers around them and several police officers.
According to Breiner, the investigation’s special prosecutor, Michael Wheat, issued a subpoena Thursday for Katherine Kealoha to turn over two of her work laptops. However, Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and Breiner each objected, he said. Kaneshiro, Breiner said, worried that the laptops’ seizure could affect ongoing criminal investigations, and Breiner worried their seizure could violate attorney-client privilege.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Seabright then took the laptops into custody, Breiner told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Breiner said the FBI’s separate search warrant today for computer servers at the Prosecutor’s Office today could be a way to avoid at least the attorney-client privilege issues.
“It’s a hunting expedition. They’re looking for things,” Breiner said. “It’s a very broad-spectrum search warrant.”
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FBI Special Agent Arnold Laanui issued a statement confirming that “special agents were conducting investigative activity at the Office of the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney” on Richards Street today. Citing FBI policy regarding ongoing investigations, Laanui said the agency “will not be providing, at this time, any statements regarding the subjects of its investigation, identities of victims, or the purpose of today’s activity.
“Preserving the integrity of our investigation, as well as the integrity of the Prosecutor’s Office is a primary concern to the FBI. We wish to keep disruptions to their operations to a minimum,” he said.
In a brief written statement this afternoon, Kaneshiro said, “FBI agents served a search warrant at the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney this morning. This office fully cooperated with the agents and provided information requested in the warrant.”
The office offered no further information.
Kealoha, who last week agreed to retire, is still working out the details of his compensation package with the Police Commission. On Dec. 20, the chief placed himself on voluntary paid leave after the FBI sent him a “target letter” informing him that he is the focus of a criminal investigation.
The grand jury investigation stems from a family feud involving Katherine Kealoha’s uncle Gerald Puana. Puana was accused of stealing the mailbox in front of the Kealohas’ Kahala home in June 2013. Alex Silvert, Puana’s defense lawyer, accuses Chief Kealoha of purposely triggering the mistrial to avert a not-guilty verdict that would have undercut Katherine Kealoha’s standing in a civil case against Puana.
On Dec. 16, retired HPD officer Niall Silva pleaded guilty to conspiring with other police officers and Katherine Kealoha to frame Puana for the theft of the mailbox.
65 responses to “FBI seizes computers from city Prosecutor’s Office in Kealoha case”
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i would think by now mushmouth has his tracks well covered….
oh, oh. doesn’t matter if it was hammered or windexed.
the city i.t. department auto saves much of the work on city computers on backup units. just have to get there before regularly scheduled data purges though.
“…worried that the laptops’ seizure could affect ongoing criminal investigations.”
This is exactly why Kanot-see-role should have put her on leave a long time ago. He should be the third one to be investigated also.
Yep…KKK…Kealoha, Kealoha, Kaneshiro.
There is much out here to investigate including the rail scam. I am happy that an outside, uncompromised by corruption outfit is here to look into this mess.
They should look into your nefarious activities.
I agree. her up. LOL
Lock her up
The FBI is a “uncompromised by corruption outfit”????? Bwaaaaahahahahahaha
#MakeAmericaGreatAgain
I’ve been saying this all along! They will all fall like a house of cards! FBI doesn’t play Banana Republic games, they know the prosecutor is hiding and fabricating lies so he’s next on the indictment. Caldwell is NEXT!
Pow-pow-………….
One Kealoha down, one more to go…ALOHA, Kealoha…
Time for her to “retire” too.
Yep…
Mrs. Kealoha dared to play a phony race card by claiming they were being persecuted. She did not say that they had been chosen for their privileged positions in part because they were Hawaiians. She also did not say it was a Hawaiin family member who brought these charges against them
Another sad event in the HPD/Prosecutor saga. To think the current prosecutor was just re-voted in (was there anyone credible running against?).
true…I wish some top prosecutor had run against him. He has become a joke even to his few supporters. We need a credible Office of the Prosecutor.
Gees, haven’t you seen, you live in Demoncrat infested state. Until the Grubber subjects get informed on the issues and if only SA starts investigating and reporting REAL news and not Fake news, nothing will change anytime soon.
HA HA HA HA HA!! And down comes the old boy House of Cards!! First Kealoha, then his wife, then her boss…and save that last dance for Caldwell.
I am SO impressed with the FBI this year. They’re taking out the trash in Washington and right here in Honolulu, and I think we should all feel very fortunate to have guys and girls who are willing give up promising and lucrative careers to be placed in shameful banana republics like Honolulu and spend thousands of hours chasing around MO-RONS like our city “leaders” for often less than a quarter of what they’d be paid working in big law or accounting firms.
Mahalo to Jim Comey and all of his agents!
Hehe, that you know of.
And how, part tell, is Caldwell caught up in this? Specifics, please.
JustBObF, it is “pray tell”
Don’t worry, JustBobF, let the feds just do their jobs. In the meantime, if I were you’ I’d start looking for a job outside of government as the feds will crack down and investigate the entire Banana Republic for racketeering. Many here have forgotten Hawaii is a state, not a foreign country run by a dictator controlling the facts and laws as he pleases.
This State is the same as any other State. Now, the part about a dictator, I agree if you’re talking about Caldwel, but you should have said petty dictator.
Why are local people so shocked? They overwhelmingly love it when the Feds interfere. Well the Feds are now interfering. Why the “outrage???” This is exactly what the people wanted.
Who, exactly, is “outraged”?
Good question Bumba. This seems like so much nothing. Remember when there was the Kukui Gardens scandal or a successful businessman being called the godfather. Now, it’s stealing mail boxes.
People may have been “outraged” that Kukui Gardens was sold to California real estate firm, but that doesn’t make it a scandal. The developer, Clarence Ching ultimately fulfilled his agreement with HUD to keep the project affordable until 2011. In the end, a win-win situation was reached that both the tenants and Carmel Partners could live with.
Who’s shocked?? lol. Where you live?
Wow — let’s hope the Feds can get to the bottom of this and serve up some real justice here.
If Keith is taken down in this investigation, we do have a few fine individuals with legal backgrounds and experience in public office who actually HAVE INTEGRITY, who could be encouraged to run. Off the top of my head…
1) Charles Djou
2) Duke Aiona
3) Peter Carlisle (MAYBE…not impressed with him)
Keith Kaneshiro embodies everything that is wrong with our city, and if you can’t stand Kealoha or our crook mayor or scam artists like Kenoi then you must condemn Keith. He’s an arrogant, egomaniacal despot and far too incompetent to lead the prosecutor’s office…even here in Honolulu.
Don’t know Kaneshiro but Djou and Aiona are lame and that’s being polite
And yet they both got farther in life than you ever will, and without being embroiled in embarrassing scandals, so what does that, politely, make you?
Maybe “Sandys” is a concerned citizen and not an ambitious has-been politician whose time in the limelight is a distant wish for fame and fortune.
Yotare, “Further” Versus “Farther” The quick and dirty tip is to use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. It’s easy to remember because “farther” has the word “far” in it, and “far” obviously relates to physical distance
Youtare:
Here’s another “quick and dirty” for you: words (“further,” “farther,” and “versus,” for example) that appear mid-sentence are generally not capitalized unless they’re proper nouns.
Both Djou and Aiona know that their time has passed. They would look foolish to try and run again after monumental losses. “Sandys”…you are REALLY polite when you use the word “lame”.
Thanks, Mililani
“Lame” is a really general and subjective term. Duke Aiona is both a former deputy prosecutor as well as a Circuit Court judge who founded the drug court program. Before you label him as a “has-been politician” it’s important to recognize he is more than qualified to replace Kaneshiro and couldn’t do worse.
Aiona and Carlisle should be on your short list. In contrast, Charles Djou has spent very little (if any) time practicing law.
They need to have practiced criminal law within three years of running for office. So none of them would be able to run as of now.
Is Duke Aiona not still involved in courts and legal defense initiatives? And is Djou not an Army JAG, making him the equivalent of a federal/military prosecutor?
I am not well-versed in the technicalities but do believe either man would bring a sense of honesty and integrity that had been sorely lacking under that horrible godfather-wannabe, Kaneshiro.
Djou is a reservist, so who knows how much time he actually spends on cases. Certainly, his military position allows him enough time to lecture at UH and HPU, as well as run for and serve in a myriad of political offices — including most recently — mayor of Honolulu.
It’s time for Kaneshiro to get measured for Federal Prison jumpsuit.
All this over a mail box. Will be interesting to see how far this investigation will go.Feds are here.
NO. This is about incompetence and self dealing by public officials. Both Kealohas are using their public office to enrich themselves at public expense. They need to go. Kaneshiro is a mystery — what’s in it for him to protect queen katherine? Figure that out and you will have a real story here.
The Kaneshiro/ Kealoha connection may reveal some very scary realities. Many still ask the question as to why did Kaneshiro promote the Chief of Police’s
wife to be the head of the Prosecutors Career Criminal Unit when she had very limited criminal trial experience ? Go figure ? This created opportunities for
people to become involved in unethical practices and perhaps criminal behavior. The FBI has reached into two of our city and county agencies and perhaps
will become involved in the rail fiasco It will be interesting to see a Federal Agency ” follow the money ” as Hawaii asks for more.
Can’t wait for Kaneshiro with Mr. & Mrs. Kealoha to be making Hawaii Five-0 cameos when they’re in general population at Halawa.
How many millions of tax payers $$$$$$$$$$$$$ is this stolen mailbox going to cost us??????
Sadly a lot but sometimes it’s for the best in the long run. Time to take the trash out and it’s not going to be cheap to dispose of it.
Why are you against spending money to fight crime?
We need to send a message to everyone that crime of any kind big or small doesn’t pay. It will make this world a better place to live in.
Let’s not forget Keith Kaneshiro. He may be tied up in this, too, the way he full-heartedly supports the Kealohas.
looks like a good movie to watch no?
I already saw it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlVe1QT8NfE the chief has the worlds weakest and cheapest mailbox I’ve ever seen. When the supposed perpetrator touched it, it literally broke into 3 pieces! LOL
Would make a good episode of Hawaii 5-0.
Just save to money and cancel Hawaii 5-0 and start a reality show on the real HPD. There’s enough dirt of the entire HPD to steal the audience away from Jerry Springer.
The FBI don’t care who you are or what you look like. The best thing is that everyone’s equal and they won’t stop until someone is held accountable. They’ll peal back that onion!
That picture of Katherine is priceless! Literally worth a thousand words! LMAO
Kaneshiro do your duty and put the people in your office in line
At least we get a break from the Bad News Rail. Mayor Caldwell has certainly been very quiet and has kept his distance from Chief Kealoha. Guess the Mayor is going to let Chief Kealoha take the fall. Mayor Caldwell must be thinking about higher office in 2018. Governor Caldwell?
let us all pray that louie wahanui and his wife go to jail, and the other pilau cops be their roommates. our hpd is sooooo pilau.
Ur Right! Why don’t the fed’s & hpd shoot it out. Then they will know who has the the fire power in this State. pow-pow……..
aloha louie and your wife.
There should be NO compensation package offered until the FBI is done. There could be charges coming with that said until all the facts are in Kealoha should not get a thing. Mrs. Kealoha should be put on unpaid leave while the investigation is ongoing. When this story first broke it stunk; whens the last time you heard of someone being investigated for a mailbox theft A MAILBOX. Shame shame shame.
Anybody have the number for bkeachbit?