With jury selection underway in the trial of former Honolulu business owner Michael J. Miske Jr. and two remainingn co-defendants, and opening arguments likely just a week away, it’s almost time to set aside attempts to read between the lines of court records seeking to understand the charges and instead attend to evidence that will be presented in the trial. That’s really the evidence that counts, at least for now.

That said, the list of trial exhibits filed by prosecutors provides interesting clues about what’s to come, including incidents that have not previously been known to the public.

Many exhibits can be matched up to specific crimes charged in the indictment. Others appear to involve crimes that are not among the charges, but are apparently part of the government’s overall burden to prove the charged racketeering conspiracy, and the so-called “Miske Enterprise,” actually existed as they allege, something Miske’s attorneys vociferously deny.

I’ve written about Miske as a used car dealer, and prosecutors will be presenting exhibits to document his activities. But it seems Miske was also dabbling in fireworks.

Fireworks

Mike Miske’s alleged involvement in the illegal fireworks trade has not been publicly disclosed previously.

I first heard a story about Miske and fireworks a couple of years ago. It was potentially a good story, but nothing concerning fireworks had came up in documents made public at the time, and chasing the story would have required spending time to figure out the regulatory system and dig out available records to confirm or deny the story. My source was not in a position to be on the record, which left me reliant on public records would have taken a lot of effort to pry loose. So I made a note for my records and didn’t pursue it further, as I had no shortage of good stories to follow-up on.

The story I was told went something like this.

Yes, Miske was into fireworks for a while, my source said.

At one point, probably ten years ago or more, a company he had links to was contracted to put on a new year’s eve fireworks show at a commercial venue. Later, questions emerged, perhaps based on a review of inventory records. My source could not pin down the year.

Basically, the records showed many more fireworks had been reported used that night than was possible for a show of its size. To use as many fireworks as claimed, the show would have had to have been several times larger than the annual Waikiki fireworks New Year’s Eve show, but it wasn’t even close.

There was now suspicion that most of the goods supposedly used had actually been syphoned off for black market sales, and were showing up on the street.

Honolulu Fire Department officials eventually met with Miske to discuss their questions.

Soon afterwards, a break-in was reported at the Waikele Self Storage bunker used by Miske’s company for fireworks storage, and the some or all of the inventory was reported stolen.

Miske then got out of the business, and the investigation fizzled, but whether that was the intent of the theft wasn’t clear.

Potentially a good story. But, until now, just a story heard from a source.

But the government’s exhibit list filed in court last week includes more than 50 exhibits relating to fireworks, licensing records, and a fireworks theft from the Waikele storage bunkers.

There are numerous photos of the caves at Waikele where the storage bunkers are located, photos of the bunker exterior, photos of many different kinds of fireworks taken in October 2010, HFD records of licenses for import, retail, and storage of fireworks, several itemized inventories regarding fireworks, and about 30 exhibits described as having to do with “fireworks theft.”

A packing list from the Hunan Liuyang Global Fireworks company appears as a separate exhibit.

Among the exhibits is an a Honolulu Fire Department fireworks license file for Richard Macguyer, along with an explosive license to Island Weddings and Special Events dba Grand Finale, as well as the company’s business registration records from the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

DCCA records show Island Weddings and Special Events LLC was registered to do business in February 2008, submitted annual reports to the state for 2009 and 2010, and then went dark. It was administratively terminated by the state’s business registration division in 2013 after no reports had been filed for three years.

The company was registered to do business as Grand Finale Fireworks Production. Macguyer was listed as the company’s sole reported member.

Macguyer is one of Miske’s first cousins, and the two had a long and close relationship. The pair were charged together after being found in possession of burglary tools in August 1993, when they were teenagers. They were charged with minor offenses, including attempted theft and criminal property damage, as well as being in possession of the burglary tools. The charges were dismissed the following year after the state failed meet its deadline for a speedy trial, and did not refile the charges before a 30-day deadline set by the judge.

Later, Macguyer was an employee of Miske’s Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control, and held a Pest Control Field Representative license registered with the company.

An unverified report by a confidential informant previously made public identified Macguyer as the “house” through which Miske and other Kamaaina employees took part in sports betting.

“Cash payouts and collections were often conducted during KTPC meetings,” federal investigators were told.

Richard Macguyer’s name appears on witness lists filed by both prosecutors and attorneys for the defendants.