Editor’s note: This article was first published on Ian Lind’s blog, iLind.net. It is reprinted here with the author’s permission.

Jacob “Jake” Smith, has emerged as a key witness in the racketeering trial of former Honolulu business owner Mike Miske. Smith was just 21 when he became associated with the criminal organization prosecutors refer to as the Miske Enterprise, quickly becoming one of Miske’s close associates and bridging different criminal networks that operated within Miske’s orbit.

Smith, 30, pleaded guilty in November 2020 after being arrested in a drug bust two years earlier. He was charged separately from Miske but in a plea deal with prosecutors, admitted being part of the Miske-led racketeering conspiracy and having been a meth dealer. He faces a sentence of up to 20 years on the racketeering charge plus 10 years to life on the drug trafficking charge.

As part of the deal, he agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, and they agreed not to bring further charges for additional crimes he disclosed during plea negotiations.

Smith testified for several days last month, and admitted he took part in a range of crimes, including arson, armed robberies, drug trafficking, chemical attacks and murder-for-hire schemes.

Smith grew up in Kaneohe, attended a Christian school, and graduated from high school in 2011. He was raised in his dad’s Tae Kwan Do school in Kaneohe, competed in martial arts tournaments here and on the mainland and earned a reputation as a kickboxer.

But Smith failed to internalize the discipline and character his father’s school aimed to instill in its students.

In 2012, when he was just 18, Smith was arrested and charged with first-degree attempted burglary of a residence, a Class B felony. He pleaded “no contest” and initially caught a break when his request for deferred acceptance of his no contest plea was granted. This meant that if he stayed out of trouble for a few years, his record would be wiped clean, his conviction erased.

But instead, he was arrested and detained in the Oahu Community Correctional Center in 2015 for violating the terms of his release.

When he was released from OCCC, a friend introduced him to John Stancil, Miske’s half-brother. Stancil, in turn, introduced Smith to Wayne Miller, who provided him with money and food.

Miller had been befriended by Miske in the late 1990s when Miller was a teenager. In December 2001, Miller was wielding a shotgun when he and two others robbed a Windward Oahu credit union. He was convicted in federal court in 2005 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. During his sentencing, Miske submitted a character reference letter to the court, calling Miller “a true friend,” and “like my third brother.”

Miller connected with Miske again in 2013, when he moved from prison to a halfway house, and reportedly became a top lieutenant in Miske’s organization when he was released from federal custody at the beginning of 2014.

Miller, in turn, introduced Smith to Mike Miske.

Then, according to Smith’s testimony, Stancil suggested to Miske that Smith could take the place of former strong-arm associate Hanson Apo, who had previously been available to assault victims on Miske’s cue.

Apo has been identified in trial testimony as taking part in earlier Miske-related assaults over several years.

Before long, Smith became Miske’s new go-to guy for assaults and was “on call” to beat targeted victims at Miske’s direction. He said Miske usually paid him $1,000 to $2,000 per “job.” Several photos Smith sent to his girlfriend were admitted into evidence in Miske’s trial.

Murder Plots And Armed Robberies

Over more than two days of testimony, federal prosecutors walked Smith through a large number of crimes, which would be impossible to summarize here beyond a few examples.

Smith testified he was introduced to Lance Bermudez by Stancil, and the two quickly became close. When Miske put out word that he would pay to get rid of a Waimamalo man suspected of providing information to federal investigators, Smith arranged a meeting between himself, Miske and Bermudez at the Kamehameha Shopping Center. Bermudez, who had a reputation as a shooter, reportedly accepted the assignment and staked out the intended victim’s Waimanalo home in an unsuccessful attempt to ambush the target. The contract was eventually canceled, according to prior trial testimony.

This was just one of several attempted murders that were allegedly plotted at Miske’s request, including an ambush next to a movie set at Kualoa Ranch where shots were fired at Lindsey Kinney, who had angered Miske with hostile social media posts, and the attempt on the life of an ILWU official in a dispute with over access to highly-paid jobs on the docks.

Smith and Bermudez then teamed up to rob drug dealers and pimps, taking their drugs, guns and gold chains. The targets were chosen because they had things worth stealing and were unlikely to complain to police when victimized. Smith testified Stancil would provide information on potential targets but did not usually participate in the actual robberies.

In one incident, a tip from another drug dealer led to a home invasion robbery in Kaneohe in August 2016. Smith, Bermudez and a third man entered the house around 12:40 a.m. and confronted its two occupants. All three were armed, one with an AR-15-type rifle. They took two braided gold chains valued at $18,000, along with handguns, prescription Xanax and some marijuana, according to Smith’s testimony and prior court filings. Bermudez later posed for a selfie wearing the gold chains, while Smith stood behind pointing the AR-15 at the camera.

Smith also described the robbery of an illegal game room in Mapunapuna, again with Bermudez. Another drug dealer whom Smith supplied, Tim Taboada, entered first to scope out the situation. He then sent text messages to Smith reporting the number of people inside and the status of security staff. Smith testified they ended up getting $5,000 in the robbery. The series of texts between Taboada and Smith were introduced into evidence.

The attempted robbery and assault of the owner of a Kailua tattoo shop that ended in the death of one of the attackers were carried out in November 2017 at Miske’s direction, Smith told the jury.

Smith said some jobs came directly to him from Miske, while others were relayed through Wayne Miller, at the time considered Miske’s top associate. When asked why he went along with it, Smith replied he had needed the money to take care of his family, and he wanted to gain status in Miske’s eyes. And, in return, Smith said he felt protected from retaliation by his association with Miske, a feeling described by other participants as well.