Hawaii News Now gets credit for staying ahead of the still evolving story of the public corruption case against the former Honolulu police chief, Louis Kealoha, his wife, and several HPD officers.

In a January 18th that deserved more attention, HNN reported a federal grand jury appears to be targeting Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro (“FBI corruption investigation targets city prosecutor“).

On Thursday, Kaneshiro’s first deputy, Chasid Sapolu, spent hours testifying before a federal grand jury. And this is not the first time.

Hawaii News Now has seen him go to the grand jury room multiple times in recent weeks.

Also called in recent weeks: Kaneshiro’s executive assistant, Carol Nakamura.

Multiple, high-ranking Honolulu police officers and former police officers were also there to testify Thursday.

The grand jury will decide if Kaneshiro should face public corruption charges.

This grand jury appears to be continuing the broad criminal probe that started several years ago with allegations of police misconduct stemming from what prosecutors say was the faked theft of the mailbox at the chief’s home as part of a scheme to frame Katherine Kealoha’s uncle during a dispute over family finances.

A year ago, the FBI raided the Honolulu prosecutors’ office and seized “computer-related equipment,” as well as computer files from a backup server in another building used by the police department, HNN reported at the time.

And in a story broadcast this week, HNN reports the Kealohas have “apparently” stopped making mortgage payments on a home they own in Hawaii Kai, and have not paid property tax on their condominium apartment in Kahala.

HNN reported that their financial situation could affect their legal situation as well.

The extra money the Kealohas have by not paying the estimated $5,000 a month in mortgages could put their taxpayer-funded legal team in jeopardy because their high monthly debt is what convinced Chief U.S. Judge Michael Seabright that they could not afford their own attorneys. If they stopped making those payments, they are required to report it.

“They were put on notice that they should notify the court of that change in their financial condition and the court may determine that if they don’t do that that they may have violated some of their pretrial conditions,” said attorney William Harrison, who added the judge could send them back to jail if he finds they are being deceptive about their finances.

It’s good to see this continuing reporting on an important and still developing story.