The criminal case of the late racketeering boss Michael J. Miske Jr. and his associates may not be over after all, according to the latest filing in the ongoing federal court fight to seize millions in personal and business property he once owned. 

A stipulated agreement between the parties in the asset forfeiture lawsuit states that prosecutors intend to use evidence collected in a previously undisclosed criminal investigation to bolster their legal claim to his properties.

Until then, the Miske-related criminal cases appeared to have effectively ended with the 30-year prison sentence doled out to Lance Bermudez in July, the last of about 18 co-defendants and associates of Miske to be sentenced — although three defendants have appeals of their sentences pending at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

The stipulation, filed in the U.S. District Court in Honolulu on Feb. 5, was signed off on by all current parties to the forfeiture case — the government, the Michael J. Miske Jr. Trust and three lenders holding secured interests in certain of Miske’s properties. In seeking the delay, the parties agreed “these upcoming motions … may affect the status of the civil action and/or discovery.”

The document does not offer any further hints about the nature of the new investigation, the evidence obtained but not yet made public, or whether additional criminal charges might result. Attempts to reach attorneys representing the government and the Miske Trust on the federal Presidents’ Day holiday were unsuccessful.

However, according to the stipulation, government attorneys intend to seek court permission to amend their forfeiture lawsuit to add two additional legal justifications based on evidence gathered in this new case. In addition, they intend to seek a stay, which would temporarily halt the forfeiture proceedings to allow the court time to consider motions triggered by the new evidence.

The parties also asked the court to grant a three-month delay from March 1 to at least June 1 for a required hearing in which the presiding judge would set deadlines for further court proceedings. 

An order signed by Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield in June required the parties to periodically file joint status reports updating the court on progress in the case. These status reports, along with several stipulations like the latest filing, provide the only publicly available information about progress in the case resulting from the ongoing off-the-record discussions taking place behind the scenes.

After a six-month jury trial, Miske was convicted in July 2024 on 13 counts including racketeering conspiracy and related crimes, four years after he was arrested in a pre-dawn raid. The same jury then ruled that his assets were tied to his racketeering activities and should be turned over to the government. 

However, when Miske was found dead in his cell that December, the jury’s verdicts, as well as the original charges, were vacated and prosecutors had to file a new civil forfeiture lawsuit seeking to essentially reinstate the jury’s original findings.

Estimates of the value of Miske’s properties range widely, between $13 million and $28 million. That includes nearly $4.3 million in cash and checks, real estate appraised for tax purposes at $8.8 million, several vintage cars with an estimated value of $400,000, a 2017 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta purchased on May 30, 2020, for $219,000, and some miscellaneous works of art.

By far the most valuable asset is an 8,206-square-foot luxury home boasting five bedrooms and seven bathrooms on a lot overlooking the ocean on Lumahai Street in Portlock.

In June, attorneys representing the government and the Miske trust agreed to seek a negotiated settlement of the case to avoid another long and costly trial. A settlement would presumably result in certain assets being returned to the trust, of which court records show Miske’s granddaughter, a minor, is the sole beneficiary.

The latest court filing also includes information about the progress of those negotiations. On Oct. 30 “the United States made a tentative initial settlement offer to the Miske Trust, subject to required Department of Justice (‘DOJ’) approvals.”

Attorneys for the Miske trust responded with a counter-offer to the government less than two weeks later. It was discussed and rejected by the government during a telephone conference on Feb. 3, according to the stipulation.

Despite that setback, both sides say settlement discussions continue, along with efforts to agree on procedures for the sale of unspecified “non-currency” properties targeted by the forfeiture lawsuit “to preserve their respective values.”