Hawaiʻi Corruption Investigations

Kealohas Plead Guilty To Federal Felony Charges Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Kealohas Plead Guilty To Federal Felony Charges

Katherine Kealoha and her husband, former HPD Chief Louis Kealoha, will likely face years in prison after reaching plea agreements with federal prosecutors.

Former Honolulu Police Chief Agrees To Plead Guilty To Bank Fraud Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Former Honolulu Police Chief Agrees To Plead Guilty To Bank Fraud

Louis Kealoha’s plea deal will keep him from a trial that had been set for January. It comes a day after his wife, Katherine, signed her own agreement.

Katherine Kealoha Signs Plea Deal With Prosecutors Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Katherine Kealoha Signs Plea Deal With Prosecutors

Her attorney said she signed a deal at the Federal Detention Center Sunday morning.

Kealoha Plea Deal In The Works Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Plea Deal In The Works

A hearing has been set for Tuesday in federal court to finalize a settlement that would avoid more trials.

Louis Kealoha Files For Divorce From Katherine Kealoha Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Louis Kealoha Files For Divorce From Katherine Kealoha

The marriage is irretrievably broken, Louis Kealoha indicated in his court complaint.

Judge Will Decide Kealohas’ Fate In Bank Fraud Trial Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Judge Will Decide Kealohas’ Fate In Bank Fraud Trial

A federal judge approved the law enforcement couple’s waiver of a jury trial.

Newly Released Minutes Reveal How Louis Kealoha Got His $250K Buyout Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Newly Released Minutes Reveal How Louis Kealoha Got His $250K Buyout

The Honolulu Police Commission recently released minutes from secret meetings where commissioners and city attorneys hashed out a lucrative retirement deal for the former police chief.

Kealoha Corruption Probe Is Why Honolulu Is Paying A Mainland Law Firm To Fight The Feds Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Kealoha Corruption Probe Is Why Honolulu Is Paying A Mainland Law Firm To Fight The Feds

Federal agents seized a “very broad” set of emails in connection with an investigation that is now before a grand jury, according to Honolulu City Council member Ron Menor.

Kealohas Could Avoid Bank Fraud Trial If Plea Deal Reached Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Kealohas Could Avoid Bank Fraud Trial If Plea Deal Reached

A new indictment lays out more details in the case involving Katherine Kealoha’s oversight of children’s trust funds.

Federal Judge Postpones Sentencing Of The Kealohas For Two Weeks Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Federal Judge Postpones Sentencing Of The Kealohas For Two Weeks

Louis Kealoha, the former Honolulu police chief, and Katherine Kealoha, a former deputy city prosecutor, are now scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 31.

Judge Says Puanas Should Get New Trial Against Katherine Kealoha Submitted

Judge Says Puanas Should Get New Trial Against Katherine Kealoha

Katherine Kealoha had been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars by a civil jury. But her uncle and grandmother are hoping to get that back.

Kealoha Cases Are Racking Up ‘Endless’ Taxpayer Legal Bills Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Kealoha Cases Are Racking Up ‘Endless’ Taxpayer Legal Bills

The legal fees for one lawsuit alone break down to about 70 cents per Oahu resident.

Effort To Impeach Honolulu Prosecutor Continues Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2017

Effort To Impeach Honolulu Prosecutor Continues

A Honolulu businessman isn’t giving up on his quest to oust Keith Kaneshiro.

Katherine Kealoha’s Relatives Demand New Civil Trial Because Of Her Alleged Fraud Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Katherine Kealoha’s Relatives Demand New Civil Trial Because Of Her Alleged Fraud

A motion seeks to overturn a $658,000 judgment in favor of the former city prosecutor, who was recently convicted of trying to frame her uncle.

‘A Real Injustice’: Katherine Kealoha Still Stands To Collect $680K From Grandmother, Uncle Cory Lum/Civil Beat

‘A Real Injustice’: Katherine Kealoha Still Stands To Collect $680K From Grandmother, Uncle

Gerard and Florence Puana are still on the hook for the verdict in a civil case that happened before the Kealohas were convicted on criminal charges stemming from the same situation.

Who Is Earle Partington And What’s He Doing In The Kealoha Case? Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Who Is Earle Partington And What’s He Doing In The Kealoha Case?

The longtime Honolulu attorney reveals his colorful — some say questionable — legal style and substance in an interview with Civil Beat.

Judge: New Kealoha Attorney Is Good To Go Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Judge: New Kealoha Attorney Is Good To Go

Gary Singh has no conflict despite a news report suggesting he did, a federal judge ruled

New Trial Dates Set For Kealoha Cases Cory Lum/Civil Beat

New Trial Dates Set For Kealoha Cases

The next trial is now set for January and the next one for May, pushing back the cases by several months.

A $500 Fine For HPD Officer Who Says He Was Targeted By Kealohas Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

A $500 Fine For HPD Officer Who Says He Was Targeted By Kealohas

Former HPD sergeant Albert Lee was fired after he was charged for driving under the influence and lying to investigators.

The Kealoha Corruption Case Cost These Two Investigators More Than Their Jobs

The Kealoha Corruption Case Cost These Two Investigators More Than Their Jobs

Former Honolulu Ethics Commission investigators Chuck Totto and Letha DeCaires speak out about the politics and questionable practices they say clouded one of the most important cases of their careers.

Next Kealoha Trials May Get Pushed Back As New Attorney Gets Up To Speed Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Next Kealoha Trials May Get Pushed Back As New Attorney Gets Up To Speed

Katherine Kealoha’s attorney wants to delay a bank fraud until next year. That could also set back her drug trafficking trial, too. 

Defiant Ethics Commission Defends Decisions On Kealohas Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2016

Defiant Ethics Commission Defends Decisions On Kealohas

The chair of the Honolulu Ethics Commission pushes back on criticism that the commission short-circuited a probe of the former police chief, his wife and other cops.

Ethics Commission Set To Examine Its Role In Kealoha Corruption Case Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Ethics Commission Set To Examine Its Role In Kealoha Corruption Case

The oversight board stopped its former executive director and investigator from pursuing ethics investigations into the city police chief and his prosecutor wife.

Behind The Verdict In The Kealoha Trial: An Interview With The Jury Foreman Yoohyun Jung/Civil Beat

Behind The Verdict In The Kealoha Trial: An Interview With The Jury Foreman

There was no smoking gun, just a “mountain of evidence” that led to the conspiracy conviction of the former Honolulu police chief, his prosecutor wife and two police officers.

Katherine Kealoha Loses One Attorney While A Second Seeks A Retrial Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Katherine Kealoha Loses One Attorney While A Second Seeks A Retrial

The former city prosecutor’s publicly funded defense lawyer was allowed to withdraw from the case on the same day her privately paid attorney made new claims.

Attorney Cites Ethical Concerns In Motion To Drop Katherine Kealoha As Client Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Attorney Cites Ethical Concerns In Motion To Drop Katherine Kealoha As Client

Cynthia Kagiwada says she no longer wants to represent the former city prosecutor, who was convicted and incarcerated last week but faces additional charges.

Katherine Kealoha’s Tax-Funded Attorney Wants Out Nick Grube/Civil Beat

Katherine Kealoha’s Tax-Funded Attorney Wants Out

Cynthia Kagiwada cites a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship with the former Honolulu prosecutor.

Taxpayers Shouldn’t Expect Louis Kealoha To Pay Them Back Anytime Soon Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Taxpayers Shouldn’t Expect Louis Kealoha To Pay Them Back Anytime Soon

The Honolulu Police Commission gave the former chief a retirement payment of $250,000 after he was named as the target of a federal criminal investigation. 

It’s Definitely Not Time To Move On From The Kealohas’ Corruption Case Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

It’s Definitely Not Time To Move On From The Kealohas’ Corruption Case

The sordid chronicle of corruption and conspiracy at the highest levels of law enforcement demands greater vigilance from us all.

Understanding The Verdicts In The Kealoha Conspiracy Case Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Understanding The Verdicts In The Kealoha Conspiracy Case

The Kealohas and two HPD officers were found guilty of conspiracy and obstruction, while a retired Honolulu police major walked. Here’s an explanation of the charges.

Katherine Kealoha Is Sent To Jail Until Sentencing Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Katherine Kealoha Is Sent To Jail Until Sentencing

Updated: A federal judge revoked her bail Friday after she was found guilty of federal conspiracy and obstruction charges.

Jury Convicts Kealohas And 2 HPD Officers Of Conspiracy Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Jury Convicts Kealohas And 2 HPD Officers Of Conspiracy

Update: Honolulu’s former police chief and his prosecutor wife, along with two police officers, were found guilty Thursday in one of the biggest corruption cases in Hawaii history.

Kealoha Conspiracy Trial Is Now In The Hands Of The Jury Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Kealoha Conspiracy Trial Is Now In The Hands Of The Jury

Closing arguments in one of the most highly-publicized criminal trials in Hawaii history concluded Wednesday.

Kealoha Conspiracy Trial: ‘Power, Greed And Manipulation’ Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Kealoha Conspiracy Trial: ‘Power, Greed And Manipulation’

Closing arguments began Tuesday in the trial of Louis and Katherine Kealoha and three Honolulu police officers.

Prosecutors Say Katherine Kealoha’s Civil Attorney Lied On The Witness Stand Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Prosecutors Say Katherine Kealoha’s Civil Attorney Lied On The Witness Stand

Kevin Sumida represented Kealoha in a series of lawsuits, including one in which she was accused by her uncle and grandmother of financial fraud and elder abuse.

Kealoha Trial: Closing Arguments Could Come As Soon As Tuesday Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Trial: Closing Arguments Could Come As Soon As Tuesday

The defense rests after three days of testimony, and prosecutors plan to call a few more rebuttal witnesses.

Kealoha Corruption Trial Nears End As Defense Attorneys Wrap Up Their Cases Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Corruption Trial Nears End As Defense Attorneys Wrap Up Their Cases

UPDATED: Katherine Kealoha’s defense rests Wednesday without her taking the stand.

Denby Fawcett: The Kealohas’ Trial Strategy — Dressing For Success In The Courtroom Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Denby Fawcett: The Kealohas’ Trial Strategy — Dressing For Success In The Courtroom

Legal experts evaluate the tactic of coordinated outfits and public displays of affection.

Katherine Kealoha Gets Second Defense Lawyer Late In Trial Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Katherine Kealoha Gets Second Defense Lawyer Late In Trial

Earle Partington joins the former’s prosecutor’s defense team in her public corruption trial.

Kealoha Trial: ‘A Conspiracy Is A Living, Breathing Thing’ Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2018

Kealoha Trial: ‘A Conspiracy Is A Living, Breathing Thing’

Prosecutors wrap up their case. Then the defense calls to the witness stand one of the alleged co-conspirators who already pleaded guilty.

Kealoha Trial Resumes: Now You Can See What The Jury’s Been Looking At Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Trial Resumes: Now You Can See What The Jury’s Been Looking At

The trial took a break last week. That gave the court a chance to release some of the exhibits prosecutors have presented to the jury.

Another Former Army Official Charged In Schofield Bribery Case U.S. Army

Another Former Army Official Charged In Schofield Bribery Case

One official already pleaded guilty in May to charges related to conspiring to accept bribes in exchange for financial gain.

Kealoha Trial: Prosecutors Zero In On Defendant’s Memory Lapses Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Trial: Prosecutors Zero In On Defendant’s Memory Lapses

Jurors hear audio clips of the grand jury testimony of one of the three officers on trial for allegedly helping the police chief and his prosecutor wife frame a man for stealing their mailbox.

Ex-City Ethics Director: When We Got Close The Kealohas Fought Back Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Ex-City Ethics Director: When We Got Close The Kealohas Fought Back

Chuck Totto testifies about how he was retaliated against for investigating the Kealohas long before they came to the attention of federal prosecutors.

‘We Were The Best Of Friends’: Gerard Puana Testifies In Kealoha Trial Cory Lum/Civil Beat

‘We Were The Best Of Friends’: Gerard Puana Testifies In Kealoha Trial

UPDATED: The man allegedly framed in a mailbox theft that’s turned into a massive corruption case talks about the ups and downs of his relationship with his niece, Katherine Kealoha.

She Says She Was Betrayed By Her Granddaughter, Katherine Kealoha Submitted

She Says She Was Betrayed By Her Granddaughter, Katherine Kealoha

Jurors watch the video testimony of Florence Puana, 99, in the public corruption trial of the Kealohas and three police officers.

Kealoha Trial: ‘I Thought It Was Uncle Gerry Right Off The Bat’ Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Trial: ‘I Thought It Was Uncle Gerry Right Off The Bat’

Prosecutors try to use police officers’ prior grand jury testimony against them in the criminal trial over an alleged frame job.

Kealoha Trial: ‘That’s Not The Way That Mailbox Should Come Off’ Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Trial: ‘That’s Not The Way That Mailbox Should Come Off’

Alexander Silvert, who’s credited with uncovering the alleged conspiracy involving Louis and Katherine Kealoha, gets his day in court.

Kealoha Trial: Prosecutors Try To Show HPD Tampered With Key Evidence Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Kealoha Trial: Prosecutors Try To Show HPD Tampered With Key Evidence

An FBI specialist testified that much of the surveillance video from outside the couple’s home on the day before the mailbox theft appeared to be recorded over.

Witnesses: Kealohas Targeted Uncle Years Before Mailbox Theft Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Witnesses: Kealohas Targeted Uncle Years Before Mailbox Theft

UPDATED: Several people testify Louis and Katherine Kealoha had it out for Gerard Puana long before they accused him of stealing their mailbox.