Former charity director indicted for theft

News Release from Honolulu FBI, January 30, 2015

Following a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Education Office of the Inspector General, the Hawaii Department of Human Services Office of Investigations and the Honolulu FBI, a Honolulu federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment accusing Mitchell J.W. Keawe Jr., also known as Kimo Keawe, 50, of Kailua (Oahu) with three counts of theft from an organization receiving federal funds.

The defendant is the former executive director of the Hawaii Centers for Independent Living (HCIL), a now-defunct Honolulu-based charity that provided social services to disabled persons on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Hawaii Island, Kauai and Guam. HCIL was primarily funded with grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

The indictment alleges that the defendant embezzled $179,222.46 from the charity during the period of October 4, 2011 through December 20, 2013. The defendant was served with a penal summons to appear in Honolulu U.S. District Court on February 12, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren to answer these charges. He has not been placed under arrest.

The statutory maximum penalty for these charges is 10 years in prison per count.

Please note that an indictment is only an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until they are found guilty in a court of law.

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HNN: Former head of nonprofit indicted for theft