Yesterday’s arrest of Honolulu businessman Michael John Miske, Jr., and the federal indictment of Miske and ten of his alleged henchmen, appear to be the start of another wild, complicated ride in the months ahead as we try to comprehend the implications of another twisted tale of corruption. It’s bound to be another relevatory experience for our community as more of the underside of our polite island community is revealed, even while most of us are still absorbing the convictions of former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, Katherine, once a high-flying prosecuting attorney.
The indictments came more than a year after a secret, sealed indictment was filed in the case. That original indictment, also made public yesterday, was dated July 18, 2019. It charged Miske and a second man, Michael Buntenbah, with a single count of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine during the first seven months of 2014. Yesterday’s superseding indictment charged Miske, Buntenbah, and nine others with 22 counts on a variety of charges, including murder and attempted murder. The drug charge from the original indictment is included as Count 15 in the Superseding indictment.
Miske is also awaiting trial in state court on charges of felony assault and criminal property damage stemming from a December 2012 assault on a Honolulu promoter outside Miske’s M Nightclub. His co-defendant in that case, John B. Stancil, is Miske’s younger half-brother. Stancil entered a no-contest plea in the assualt case two years ago and was sentenced to a year probation, leaving Miske to face trial alone. That trial has been repeatedly postponed, apparently waiting for the federal case to proceed. Stancil is among those named in yesterday’s federal indictment.
The Miske Enterprise, as the indictment dubs the array of criminal activities that allegedly operated out of the offices of Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control at 940-B Queen Street in Kakaako, is different in kind from the corruption revealed in the Kealoha case.
The Kealohas and their accomplices badly abused their positions of power and authority to benefit the Kealohas, but their misdeeds didn’t directly affect the general public, except for the lasting damage to our sense of trust in government, police, and prosecutors. Katherine Kealoha may have enabled other crimes when she used her influence to shield certain people, Miske among them. But the Kealohas were not dangers to the community at large. They ripped off relatives and clients, and bent the rules and laws for the benefit of themselves and associates, but there was no evidence they were on the prowl for new vulnerable victims in the general public.
The Miske Enterprise as described in yesterday’s superseding indictment is very different. Miske and the others are accused of being armed thugs who were involved in the distribution of illegal drugs, and then using several legitimate businesses as fronts for a broad range of criminal activities, including extortion, armed robbery, and both murder and attempted murder.
But Miske wasn’t just a thug with a history of violence. He was a man about town who appears to have had many contacts and considerable influence within elite business and political circles. We should hope that unravelling Miske’s complex criminal enterprise will also end up exposing the nature of his political influence. That could turn out to be the source of even more surprises as this case moves forward.
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Let’s hope The Termite Gang is promptly exterminated.
Beyond that, it would be interesting to know whether one or both of the Kealohas provided any information regarding The Termites in hopes of winning a lighter sentence.
And The Termite King seemed to exert considerable influence over a certain former City Council member, who could also be in a position to snitch or perhaps be implicated in something related.
Some additional police or prosecutor types might also be expelling some loose termite sand these days.
How deep did The Termite Gang gnaw into Honolulu’s political and business structures?
Get ’em, Kenji!
M.Malone worked for Kealohas.
N.Akau worked for Executive Board of film union and in film industry.
Chris Mckinney wrote “The Red Headed Hawaiian” with and about Rudy Puana, M.D. (much happened to both authors AFTER the book was published). He should write a book with and about young Mr. Miske’s life which should be just as interesting.
In 2912 & 2016 Election years, many election events for Mayor Kirk Coldwell were held at the Portlock Estate of this Organization, Preceding Mayor Coldwell last two elections terms for Mayor of Honolulu at which many officials were present.
One can only imagine who attended, but based on target letters, the first question would by City Prosecutor Kaneshiro (Still Prosecutor) and Corporation Counsel Donna Leong?
And of course the City & County power couple Louis & Kat Kealoha. The luxury menu might have been Feytenal Patches?
Campaign Spending Commission records do not show any fundraisers for any candidate at the Portlock address.
The Republican President Donald J. Trump, is the only reason all of this high level Democrat Blue Crime is brought to Justice. We need a Lone Ranger every thirty years to reign in the most obvious corruption.
Wonder if another former business Partner and Missing Person Rick Calhau of Kailua permanent disappearance will also be resolved?
About three generations latter.
Lei, are you actually suggesting that Trump himself cares about any of this?
By the way, it’s “2012”, “Caldwell”, and “Fentanyl”.
Ok!
Calhau disappearance 1996
http://charleyproject.org/case/rick-calhau
Miske – Calhau connection 1995
https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?institutionId=0&user=0&id=265835620&width=557&height=276&crop=2230_1653_786_398&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1589843268&h=c17cd8a4b1efe4115df6ba0b4327eabd
HRS 707-720 refers to kidnapping
https://law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/2009/volume-14/title-37/chapter-707/hrs-0707-0720-htm/#:~:text=%C2%A7707%2D720%20%2D%20Kidnapping.,-PART%20IV.&text=(g)%20Unlawfully%20obtain%20the%20labor,is%20a%20class%20A%20felony.&text=Evidence%20held%20sufficient%20to%20show,subject%20victim%20to%20sexual%20offense.
What interesting choices by “Lei” to post unproven accusations on a journalist’s blog.
I searched CSC and the only Miske campaign contribution I found was $500 to Heidi Tsuneyoshi on April 15, 2018
https://data.hawaii.gov/Community/Campaign-Contributions-Received-By-Hawaii-State-an/jexd-xbcg/data
Plus a couple more in the name of Kamaaina Termite. Both to Donna Kim ($1,000 on 5/8/2009 and $2,000 on 5/5/2011).
How about checking donations from Miskes other companies such as Makana Development to other politicians?