Two men pleaded not guilty Monday to multiple charges in a March 12 superseding indictment, including conspiracy to commit first-degree attempted murder, in a “murder for hire” plot to randomly attack a woman with acid in January outside a fitness center near Ala Moana Center.

Paul M. Cameron, 21, allegedly conceived the Jan. 23 acid attack by hiring Sebastian Mahkwan, 30, in an attempt to cast doubt on himself as the attempted murder suspect in a 2023 chemical attack on another woman in Mililani outside the 24 Hour Fitness.

The two are charged with conspiracy to commit attempted first-degree murder and/or attempted second-­degree murder and/or first-degree assault.

Cameron is also charged with attempted first-degree murder, accomplice to second-­degree attempted murder and accomplice to first-degree assault.

Mahkwan was also charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault.

The Prosecutor’s Office referred to the scheme as a “murder for hire” plot.

At Monday’s arraignment, Cameron appeared by video teleconferencing with a deputy public defender from the Oahu Community Correctional Center, while Mahkwan, wearing a blue paper jumpsuit, appeared in court with court-appointed attorney Keith Shigetomi.

Judge Ronald Johnson maintained the two be held without bail, saying they were flight risks and a danger to the community.

Johnson initially set two separate trial dates before Judge Fa’auuga To’oto’o for the defendants, although neither party had asked for a separate trial.

The online court minutes later showed that both are set for May 20.

Shigetomi said after the arraignment, “I’m sure I’ll file a motion to sever at some point.”

If granted by the trial judge, the two men would be tried separately.

Mahkwan had been initially indicted Jan. 30 in the Jan. 23 attack outside Planet Fitness, which left Danying Zhang, a Chinese-­language teacher, critically injured and permanently disfigured.

According to Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii President Mike Young, she remains hospitalized and has a long road to recovery ahead.

The indictment says Zhang suffered substantial risk of death, with oral injury and a compromised airway, and she continues to suffer permanent disfigurement from burns to large areas of her face and body, and loss and impairment due to skin grafts.

The indictment says Cameron allegedly hired Mahkwan on or about Nov. 1 to Jan. 23, and made a number of calls from OCCC using Mahkwan’s and his personal identification numbers.

The indictment reveals the following details:

Cameron initially made a phone call Dec. 26 and offered a female with the initials M.H. $100 to call two people to bail out Mahkwan, whose bail amount on low-level drug and assault charges was $8,000.

In January he told M.H. that Mahkwan is a trusted friend from the outside, his “boyfriend,” but wanted her “to keep that secret as it was embarrassing.”

Cameron also directs her on what to say to Art, the bail bondsman.

He tells her that Mahkwan needs to get out by the 15th because Cameron has court on the 15th.

Cameron says Mahkwan knows where to find a person whom Cameron needs to prove was lying.

Cameron makes several calls to his mother, asking her for help in contacting Art, a bail bondsman, and Nikki at the Institute for Human Services.

He has his mother call Nikki to see if she can call Art to send Mahkwan’s food stamp money to help with his bail.

He tells his mother that Mahkwan was a co-worker from the outside.

He also has his mom meet S.K., an employee of All in 1 Bonding, with the keys and title to his 2015 Triumph motorcycle, used as collateral for Mahkwan’s bail.

On Jan. 20, Cameron calls Art regarding the pickup of his motorcycle and whether it would be possible to have Makhwan out by Jan. 22. Art agrees.

S.K. met with Mahkwan after posting $8,000 bond by All in 1 Bonding on Jan. 22, the day before the attack.

Mahkwan signed the bail bond application and agreement, listing Cameron as his reference.

On Jan. 27 an OCCC guard finds an envelope addressed to Cameron in a kitchen common area at OCCC.

The documents in that envelope, allegedly authored by Cameron, give detailed instructions on committing an acid attack similar to the April 7 incident, which Cameron is accused of, and what to tell law enforcement about that 2023 attack, the indictment said.

After Mahkwan’s release Jan. 22, he allegedly borrowed a black hoodie from F.L. and told him he was going to do a job at Ala Moana.

Mahkwan and another person, C.G., rode bikes to Ala Moana. C.G. waited for him, with Mahkwan’s bike.

The indictment describes how Mahkwan waited near the entrance to Planet Fitness, then threw a liquid chemical on Zhang, causing severe chemical burns to her face and body.

C.G. waited for about 10 minutes, then saw Mahkwan walk toward Zhang. He then saw a person in a jeep yelling she would call police.

In the 2023 attack against Davina Licon, who also suffered serious injury and permanent disfigurement, outside a fitness center, Cameron allegedly pointed a gun and tried to shoot her, but the gun didn’t go off, she said. He then threw an unknown liquid on her that caused burns to her face and body.

Court documents say Cameron was Licon’s ex-­boyfriend, and he told police they started a romantic relationship shortly after meeting but ended it Feb. 13, 2023. Licon has said in media reports he tried to date her, but she turned him down.

Zhang’s attack had the Chinese community in Hawaii and elsewhere concerned she may have been targeted because of her nationality or ethnicity. Young said the information from police is that it was a random attack.

“We hope that everyone can be more vigilant and help to look after each other in the Hawaii community,” he said.