It isn’t often that a long legal memo is described as a “page-turner.”

But Hawaii News Now had the right of it when they applied to term to the latest memo filed by federal prosecutors in the case involving allegations that former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, his wife, and several police officers conspired to fake the theft of the Kealohas mailbox in order to frame her uncle.

Separate trials are scheduled for the mailbox theft case, and another case involving financial fraud and related crimes by the Kealohas.

Prosecutors are seeking permission to use evidence of the financial problems and financial crimes of the Kealohas, primarily Katherine Kealoha, who was then a top city prosecutor, to provide background, context, and motive in the mailbox theft case. The “page-turner” memo attempts to frame the mailbox theft as a desperate attempt to smear Katherine Kealoha’s uncle in order to prevent the couple’s fragile financial house of cards from collapsing.

See Hawaii News Now, “In page-turner of a court filing, prosecutors detail the Kealohas’ ‘house of cards’“, which includes a copy of the prosecution memo.

This really is essential reading. It spells out the rather desperate measures allegedly taken by Katherine Kealoha to qualify for a series of loans, even if it was necessary to resort to fraud to qualify. In this and earlier court filings, prosecutors show where some of the money went, and refer repeatedly to the Kealoha’s “lavish” lifestyle. But a convincing description of that supposedly lavish lifestyle is lacking, and we aren’t really given a satisfying explanation for they were unable to survive on their two professional salaries. Prosecutors claim the financial hanky-panky started quite early, well before Louis Kealoha became chief, and the basis for the couple’s problems at that time aren’t spelled out. There’s got to be more to this still developing story.

In the meantime, though, do take a few minutes and read this memo.