Just as I think it’s time to step back a bit from the Miske case, more interesting tidbits keep coming my way.

I’ll share a couple.

• I received an unsolicited and anonymous email alleging that Miske was one of several employers who hired long-term residents in the drug treatment program at the Sand Island Treatment Center to work as laborers while his luxury home on Portlock was under construction. Some also worked for Kamaaina Termite. Many if not most of the residents of SITC are referred to the program by a judge as a condition of release from custody.

According to this email, dozens of residents used to work for Miske, and received cash and cigarettes in payment, often for doing little work.

In retrospect, the writer noted the irony. Judges had sent them to SITC, which in turn sent them to work for “a mob boss.”

Civil Beat has published a number of stories about the Sand Island Treatment Center in recent years, which are worth rereading.

• Another email received a few days ago appears to have been written by a friend of someone who was previously a victim of an assault and robbery carried out by several of Miske’s associates.

It provided a succinct description of one aspect of Miske’s alleged organization that is a key part of the government’s theory of the racketeering charge that is Count 1 of the federal indictment, brought under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations) statute.

Take a look at the MO of Jake [Smith], Hammah [Lance Bermudez], and most of Miskes crew they don’t mask up to do things because they want you to know who it was that did it to them. It’s part of that power trip they get knowing that even if you were a better fighter or had a crew of guys you couldn’t come after miske’s boys because of the fact that they were miske’s boys. In fact it was probably the best feeling to them of having someone know who robbed you but not being able to do anything about it.

A “power trip” from knowing that they “couldn’t come after miske’s boys because of the fact that they were miske’s boys.”

It’s important because it sheds light on a significant but disputed part of the government’s theory of the Miske case, that Miske’s reputation for violence shielded those associated with him from retaliation.

The government says evidence will show that Miske had few qualms about recruiting people who were part of other criminal gangs. Several of those who have pleaded guilty and admitted being key players in Miske’s organization had ties to the La Familia prison gang, but say they were paid by Miske to take part in various criminal acts. Others were part of the North Shore Boys, or the Nakipi Motorcycle, and probably others.

The government alleges that once signing on and becoming associated with Miske, they were “emboldened” because they considered themselves protected by Miske’s reputation for violence. “Emboldened” is the word repeatedly used by prosecutors in court filings.

During hearings to review prior guilty pleas in the case, Judge Derrick Watson questioned the defendants concerning this aspect alleged by prosecutors.

For example, Watson pressed Lance Bermudez during his September 2022 change of plea hearing.

“It appears it was a regular activity of the enterprise to rob local drug dealers of their drug stash. Is that fair?

Bermudez answered. “Yes.”

Watson continued: “…and money?” The answer. “Yes.”

Watson questioned Bermudez about several specific robberies, then asked: “In all of these incidents, you did so to take their stash and distribute the stash yourself to make money?”

“Yes.”

He followed with a question that went something like this.

“And even though Ms. Miske did not take part, you benefited from the protection your association with Miske afforded you, protection from retaliation fron these dealers?”

“Yes.”

Similarly, in the May 2021 change of plea hearing for Hunter Wilson, prosecutors phrased it this way.

As with Mr. Wilson’s drug activity, the evidence would show that typically Mr. Miske was not personally involved in these robberies, but Mr. Wilson’s actions and activities were assisted and emboldened by the support and backing he received as being a member of the Miske Enterprise.

Miske’s attorneys say this is all a government fantasy with no evidence to support it, and instead argue the crimes committed by those affiliated with other gangs were strictly the business of those gangs, and had nothing to do with Miske, who was simply running his businesses. If Miske didn’t take part directly, they argue, he wasn’t involved, and the crimes had nothing to do with what they refer to as the government’s “fiction” of a Miske Enterprise.

This is going to be a challenging defense strategy to pull off. Ten of Miske’s co-defendants have already pleaded guilty, and eight are on the government’s list of witnesses expected to be called during the trial. Another ten defendants were charged separately but have pleaded guilty to having been associated with Miske’s alleged organization, and are also listed as government witnesses.

Actually, I’m not sure if “alleged” is used appropriately here or not. These defendants have admitted to be associated in some way with a group they believed Miske controlled. I suppose it’s still only an “allegation” against Miske, although it’s a admitted “fact” by those who have pleaded guilty. A gray area of proper language, I suppose.