EARLIER WAS FOUND GUILTY
OF CONSPIRACY.
GINA MANGIERI IS ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING AND HAS THE
LATEST.
GINA:
ASKING FOR THE MONEY BACK IS ONE
THING, GETTING IT MAY BE FAR
MORE COMPLICATED. THE KEALOHAS
RESTITUTION. AND EVEN IF THE
SEVERANCE IS PAID
BACK IT'S A SLIVER OF THE BILL
TAXPAYERS HAVE FOOTED IN THE
KEALOHA'S LEGAL EPISODES.
AS POLICE CHIEF IN 2017 WHILE
UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION, HE
RETIRED WITH A QUARTER MILLION
DOLLAR SEVERANCE THAT CAME WITH
A PAYBACK CLAUSE -- RETURN THE
MONEY IF CONVICTED OF A FELONY.
HE'S NOW
GOT TWO -- A JURY CONVICTED HIM
OF CONSPIRACY IN JUNE FOR HIS
ROLE IN FRAMING HIS WIFE'S
UNCLE, AND THIS WEEK KEALOHA
PLED GUILTY TO
BANK FRAUD IN A DEAL TO RESOLVE
A SEPARATE FINANCIAL CRIME CASE.
SO ALWAYS INVESTIGATING ASKED
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, WHEN'S THE
QUARTER MILLION COMING BACK? THE
CITY'S SPOKESPERSON TOLD ME:
THEY "BELIEVE KEALOHA'S GUILTY
PLEA TRIGGERS HIS OBLIGATION TO
REPAY"
AND CORPORATION COUNSEL WILL BE
SENDING HIM A FORMAL DEMAND
LETTER."
AND IF THAT DOESN'T DO IT, "THE
CITY WILL BE FILING A LAWSUIT"
THEY'RE BROKE -- THEY GOT
TAXPAYER FUNDED ATTORNEYS BY
SAYING THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO
PAY.
EARLE PARTINGTON-"SHE HAS NO
PENSION, NO NOTHING, SO SHE'S
GOING TO GET OUT OF PRISON WITH
NOTHING BUT THE CLOTHES ON HER
BACK"
LOUIS WILL STILL GET HIS
SIX-FIGURE PENSION -- THE
EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TELLS ME:
"...PENSION BENEFITS... ARE
UNAFFECTED BY EITHER CRIMINAL
CONVICTIONS OR GUILTY PLEAS."
AND
"THEY CAN'T BE GARNISHED" EXCEPT
FOR TAXES AND CHILD SUPPORT
RECENT BILLS HAVE TRIED AND
FAILED TO REVOKE PENSIONS FOR
CONVICTIONS OF CRIMES RELATED TO
PUBLIC JOBS. ONE CHANGE COMING
THIS SUMMER IS
COURTS CAN ORDER "DIVISION OF
PENSION BENEFITS IN A DIVORCE
SETTLEMENT."
LOUIS FILED FOR DIVORCE FROM
KATHERINE LAST WEEK.
FAR MORE IS OWED THAN JUST THE
SEVERANCE
KATHERINE OWES THE SIBLINGS
WHOSE TRUST FUND SHE WAS ACCUSED
OF RAIDING $165,000. KATHERINE,
LOUIS AND THE OTHER
CONSPIRACY CO-CONVICTS HAVE TO
REPAY HER GRANDMOTHER 243,000
FOR ALLEGED REVERSE MORTGAGE
FRAUD AND KATHERINE'S UNCLE IS
SUPPOSED TO GET 46,000 FOR
FRAMING.
GINA MANGIERI-"SO HOW WILL THESE
VICTIMS GET ANY KIND OF
RESTITUTION?
EARLE PARTINGTON-"WELL THEY'LL
HAVE TO LOOK TO THE OTHERS TO
PAY IT, LOUIS AND THE OTHER TWO
POLICEMEN
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FINANCIALLY
RUINED INCLUDING THE DEFENDANTS,
I MEAN THAT'S WHAT'S SAD ABOUT
THIS CASE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE LEFT WITHOUT
ANYTHING IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY
VICTIMS IN THE CASE"
GINA MANGIERI-"THE TAXPAYERS TOO
HAVE ENDED UP PAYING WITH THESE
SETTLEMENTS OR WHETHER IT BE THE
TAXPAYER FUNDED
ATTORNEYS."
EARLE PARTINGTON-"YES THAT'S
QUITE CORRECT"
THE ONLY PROPERTY IN THE
KEALOHAS NAME IS A KAHALA
LEASEHOLD CONDO THEY BOUGHT FOR
135,000 SOON AFTER GETTING THE
CITY SETTLEMENT. THEY ALREADY
LOST THEIR HAWAII KAI HOME TO
FORECLOSURE. EARLE PARTINGTON-"I
THINK THE HOME IS GONE, AND THE
CONDO I THINK THE CITY WILL COME
AFTER IT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT
WAS PAID FOR
WITH THE MONEY THAT LOUIS WAS
GIVEN."
THE KEALOHAS HAVE AN ADULT
DAUGHTER IN SCHOOL ON THE
MAINLAND.
EARLE PARTINGTON-"SHE WAS A
THE MONEY TO CONTINUE, SHE WAS
IN UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK AND I
DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN TO HER SINCE SHE CAN NO
LONGER AFFORD TO GO TO THAT
IT'S A REALLY SAD STORY."
GINA:
WE CONTINUE TO PRESS THE FEDERAL
COURT TO GIVE US THE TOTAL SPENT
ON DEFENDANTS COURT- APPOINTED
ATTORNEYS IN THE KEALOHA CASES
SO FAR. WE'VE ALSO REACHED OUT
TO LOUIS KEALOHA'S
ATTORNEY ASKING IF AND WHEN
KEALOHA WILL PAY THE CITY BACK
FOR THE SEVERANCE. WE'LL KEEP
YOU POSTED WHEN WE HEAR BACK.
BACK TO YOU.
JOE: