I’ve just started reading through some of the trial transcripts from the nearly 6-month trial of former Honolulu business owner Michael J. Miske, Jr.

Most witnesses provided details of one or more of the crimes Miske was charged with. Much of that information was reported prior to the trial based on documents filed in court, while other details were reported at the time witnesses appeared in court.

In my first pass through the transcripts, I’ve been focusing on testimony conveying some of Miske’s backstory, and how he ran his business operations, both legal and illegal.

For example, one of his co-defendants, Kaulana Freitas, testified over three days in February. Freitas, 35, had pleaded guilty in March 2022 to racketeering conspiracy, and use of a chemical weapon, referring to an incident when he dispersed a chemical used in termite treatment on the dance floor of a nightclub that competed with Miske’s club. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped several additional charges, including a drug charge that would have carried a high minimum sentence. Freitas is currently awaiting sentencing.

Freitas was family, as were several other relatives on his mother’s side of the family who were also part of Miske’s criminal enterprise. Freitas’ mother is Miske’s first cousin. Her former husband, Edward “Denny” Freitas, operated one of Miske’s companies, Kamaaina Plumbing, for about a decade and was its responsible managing employee (RME) before he severed ties with Miske. Other cousins involved were Allen Lau and Josiah Akau, who took over Kamaaina Plumbing after Freitas left; Richard MacGuyer, who according to trial testimony operated an events company that was largely a cover for Miske’s illegal fireworks sales over several years; and Craig Ivester, who was released after completing a 20-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, and who Miske reportedly turned to for advice.

Kaulana Freitas testified he was born in Hawaii, but his family moved to Las Vegas when he was 10. He moved back to Hawaii in 2013 when he was in his mid-20s, and started spending time with two cousins, John and Cody Stancil, Mike Miske’s two younger half-brothers, “hanging out, cruising, going to the beach and stuff like that.”

Within a couple of years, Freitas was offered a job as Miske’s personal assistant, which involved running errands for various Miske-owned businesses, a position he held “on and off for about 5 years.”

“On and off” because, Freitas explained, he was fired by Miske several times, but eventually hired back each time.

While working as Miske’s assistant, he was paid in cash, off the books, $500-$600 per week.

Q I think you said before you — you were just a young kid
when you moved away. You didn’t really know him at all prior
to moving back?
A Yes, correct.
Q How would you describe your relationship with Mr. Miske
after you became close, as you said?
A It was a good relationship.
Q Would you describe it as — was he a mentor of sorts, a
father figure, big brother?
A Yes, I looked up to Mike.
Q Why did you look up to him?
A He’s my older cousin. He’s very smart. Owned multiple
businesses.
•••
Q About how many times were you fired and rehired in that
five years would you say?
A More than a few times.
Q Why were you fired?
A If I didn’t do something right or if I didn’t show up to
work, he would fire me.
Q Not showing up to work sounds like a reasonable reason.
Wouldn’t you agree?
A Yes.
Q Were there other reasons you were fired that you didn’t
agree with?
A Mmm, yes.

Freitas said one of his jobs was to sell cars that had been purchased at a wholesale auction by Hawaii Partners, a Miske-owned company that held a motor vehicle sales license. But the cars were sold by Freitas and other Miske associates who falsely claimed the cars had been personally owned, a violation of state licensing laws.

Freitas said he had been sued once by an unhappy customer, and he was hit with a $5,000 judgement.

So there was a $5,000 judgment against you?
A Yes.
Q All right. Did you report to Mr. Miske initially that
this lawsuit had been filed against you?
A Yes.
Q What was his response?
A His response was pretty much nothing. It wasn’t —
Q Did he offer to — to provide you with a lawyer for
this — for this court hearing?
A No.
Q Did he provide to offer to come with you for the court
hearing?
A No.
Q So once you told him that there was a $5,000 judgment
rendered against you, what did he say about that?
A Nothing. He just — I just got caught with the 5,000.
Q But he didn’t offer to — to cover that judgment?
A No.
Q Okay. So when you told Mr. Miske that you had this $5,000
judgment against you, did he offer any explanation as to why he
wasn’t going to help you with that $5,000 obligation?
A He said that we went half on it.
Q What did he mean by you went half on it?
A That we went half on the Toyota Prius from the car
auction.
Q Had you gone half on it?
A No.
Q Had you ever gone half on any car that you purchased at
the auction for Hawaii Partners?
A Never.
Q Is that $5,000 judgment still outstanding against you?
A Yes.

•••

Is it difficult for you to be here today?
A Very difficult.
Q Could you explain to the jury why it’s hard for you to
testify in this matter.
A Mike’s my cousin, and we — we’re very close.
Q Since you’ve pled guilty and have been out on pretrial
release, have you seen family members of yourself or
Mr. Miske’s in the community?
A Yes.
Q Have you been to any family gatherings such as funerals,
birthday parties, things of that nature, where people were
present?
A Yes.
Q How were you treated at those — at those gatherings?
A Nobody spoke with me.
Q How did that make you feel?
A It sucks.
Q Why?
A Because it’s family. We are supposed to be loyal to
family.
Q Do you feel you’re part of that family anymore?
A No.

•••

Freitas then described his role in releasing the chemical Chlorpicrin on the dance floor of The District nightclub on a busy weekend night. It was something Freitas did not want to do.

A Mike asked me to — to release a toxic chemical at that
nightclub in March.
Q So was there — had there been any conversation about this
before or did this just come up out of the blue?
A It came up out of the blue.
Q Mr. Miske asked you this personally?
A Yes.
Q In person, not over the phone or via text or anything like
that?
A No, personally.
Q Do you recall where this meeting took place?
A M Nightclub.
…

Q So when you’re at the M Nightclub and Mr. Miske asks you
to drop what he called tear gas, did you agree to do so?
A At first I didn’t want to do it.
Q Why?
A Because I didn’t want to do it.
Q Did you — did you tell him that?
A Yes, I did.
Q What was his response?
A “Stop being a faggot.
Q Is that how he would talk to you frequently?
A Not frequently.
Q When would he talk to you like that?
A When he was upset.
Q After he said that to you, did you agree to do it?
A Yes.
Q Did you feel pressured?
A Yes.
Q Why?
A Because he’s my older cousin, and I look up to him and I
do what he says.

•••
Freitas testified Miske had asked him to participate in assaulting another used car dealer who Miske had bought a car from, but now wanted his money back. Freitas joined his cousin, John Stancil, Miske’s half-brother, in carrying out the assault in a Wendy’s parking lot.

Q After the assault of this individual —
were you given anything by Mr. Miske?
A No.
Q Were you paid any money?
A No.
Q What was said to you after?
A Nothing.
Q Thank you?
A No.
Q Was this unusual, out of the ordinary?
A No.
Q That’s the way Mr. Miske did business?
A If he was upset.

Next: The benefits of being in the gang