Alleged Hawaii crime boss seeks September trial date

The alleged leader of a Honolulu crime syndicate that used legitimate businesses to conceal drug dealing, murder, arson, fraud and other offenses is seeking a later start to his trial to allow his attorneys more time to review evidence and prepare a defense.

“Thus far, the Government has produced well over 700,000 pages of .pdf format discovery, wiretap recordings from 8 telephones over a three-month period, numerous consensual recordings, and approximately 128 GB of digital data from numerous seized cell phones, iCloud, and email accounts,” wrote Michael Miske’s attorney, Thomas Otake, in the motion to continue his trial. “There are many issues with the discovery process that has interfered with our ability to prepare for trial. This includes, but is not limited to, the discovery being heavily redacted, the discovery being produced in an unorganized manner, and the delay in receiving items of discovery that we believe we are entitled to.”

Otake asked the court to continue the trial until Sept. 22 and wrote that counsel for other defendants in the case and the U.S. Department of Justice have no objections.

Miske is represented by Otake and Lynn Panagakos. Otake declined comment about the case. DOJ did not reply to a request for comment about Miske’s motion or the ongoing federal investigation into his alleged criminal enterprise.

Miske’s trial is currently scheduled to start March 21.

In May the U.S. Department of Justice asked for a delay to Miske’s trial while U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland considered whether to seek the death penalty against him. On Aug. 13 Garland decided against pursuing the death penalty.

Otake’s motion to continue the case will be heard Nov. 5 at 9:45 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield. Any oppositions, joinders or statement of no oppositions on the motion are due Monday.

Miske was indicted in 2020 with John Stancil, Kaulana Freitas, Lance Bermudez, Dea Han Moon, Preston Kimoto, Harry Kauhi, Norman Akau III, Hunter Wilson and Jarrin Young and accused of conspiring with them to run the “Miske Enterprise” through racketeering activity including murder, kidnapping, arson and robbery, according to DOJ.

The indictment, and a superseding indictment unsealed last summer, also allege murder-for-hire; the use of chemical weapons; extortionate credit transactions; racketeering; interference with commerce through robbery and extortion; methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis trafficking; wire fraud; fraud in connection with identification documents; financial institution fraud; violations of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act; money laundering; and obstruction of justice.

At his August 2020 detention hearing, DOJ alleged investigators identified more than two dozen victims from 2003 to 2018, a majority described as “purely innocent victims” who were either assaulted or threatened by Miske or others at his direction.

Federal prosecutors also alleged multiple threats Miske made against at least three police officers in 2007 and 2015.

The evidence includes court-authorized Title III wiretap interceptions of wire and electronic communications; forensic extractions of multiple cell­- phones; audio and video recordings from controlled purchases of drugs; evidence gathered from search warrants at physical locations and social media accounts; the laboratory testing of controlled substances; the pen register and trap-and-trace toll records of numerous phones; cooperating sources and cooperating witnesses; physical surveillance that law enforcement conducted in coordination with the Title III wiretap interceptions and during controlled purchases of drugs, among other things; and voluminous financial and business records, according to the court filing.

The enterprise allegedly used Miske’s various legitimate businesses to conceal and advance their illegal activities.

Those included Kama­‘aina Termite and Pest Control Inc., Oahu Termite &Pest Control Inc., Kama‘aina Holdings LLC, Hawaii Partners LLP, Kama‘aina Plumbing and Home Renovations, Kama‘aina Energy LLC, Makana Pacific Development LLC and the Encore Nightclub.

In a motion filed July 15, the Department of Justice alleged that Miske is the “unquestioned leader of a racketeering enterprise which routinely committed violent crimes and assaults and used threats and intimidation to protect the illegal activities which enriched and furthered the interests of Miske and the enterprise.”

Miske, 47, is detained at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center on 17 charges that include racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery, murder for hire conspiracy, firearms, chemical weapons, drugs and bank fraud.

FBI agents arrested Miske July 15, 2020. He entered a plea of not guilty.