by Andrew Walden

Mailbox? 

No. 

The federal case against Katherine and Louis Kealoha begins in 2004 with the theft of thousands of dollars from two children. 

From pgs 6-10 of indictment:

Misappropriation of Trust Funds

13. In or about 2004, while employed as a private attorney, K. KEALOHA was appointed by the Hawaii state court as trustee and guardian for two minor children (R.T., then age 12, and A.T., then age 10). The state court further ordered K. KEALOHA to create individual trust accounts for R.T. and A.T., and to deposit over $167,000 to be held in trust for the benefit of R. T. and A. T. Pursuant to a state court order, all disbursements and transactions associated with these trust accounts were to be approved by both K. KEALOHA and her co-counsel in the state court guardianship case ("Attorney 1").

UPDATE: 'Attorney 1' is either Jim Bickerton or House Speaker Scott Saiki.

14. In or about May 2004, K. KEALOHA opened two separate trust accounts for R.T. and A.T. ("the Trust Accounts"), each containing over $83,884 in trust proceeds, but (in contravention of the Hawaii state court order) identified only herself as the trustee and authorized signatory on the Trust Accounts.

15. Between May 2004 and February 2012, without notice to or approval from R.T., A.T., or Attorney 1, K. KEALOHA used almost all the funds in the Trust Accounts to pay the personal expenses of L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA, including:

a. On or about January 4, 2008, K. KEALOHA pledged one of the Trust Accounts as collateral for a $50,000 personal loan to K. KEALOHA from ASB ("ASB x3126");

b. On or about March 1, 2008, K. KEALOHA pledged one of the Trust Accounts as collateral for a $38,500 personal loan to K. KEALOHA from ASB ("ASB x3296");

c. On or about January 12, 2009, K. KEALOHA withdrew $4,500 in cash from a Trust Account;

d. On or about March 19-20, 2009, K. KEALOHA pledged one of the Trust Accounts as collateral for a $55,082 personal loan from ASB ("ASB x5383"), and used a cashier's check to transfer $20,000 from ASB x5383 to pay for L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA's personal expenses;

e. On or about March 31, 2009, K. KEALOHA withdrew $3,300 in cash from a Trust Account;

f. On or about May 18, 2009, K. KEALOHA transferred $5,200 from a Trust Account to pay for L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA's personal expenses, including their home mortgage payment;

g. On or about May 18, 2009, K. KEALOHA withdrew $900 in cash from a Trust Account;

h. On or about May 18, 2009, K. KEALOHA caused an online transfer of $1,000 from a Trust Account to pay for personal expenses;

i. On or about June 22, 2009, K. KEALOHA transferred $6,500 from a Trust Account to pay for L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA's personal expenses, including their mortgage payment;

j. On or about June 26, 2009, K. KEALOHA withdrew $2,000 in cash from a Trust Account;

k. On or about June 26, 2009, K. KEALOHA transferred $4,000 from a Trust Account to pay for L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA's personal expenses;

l. On or about August 5, 2009, K. KEALOHA withdrew $1,100 in cash from a Trust Account;

m. On or about March 19, 2010, K. KEALOHA used all the remaining the funds in a Trust Account - over $55,000 - to pay off the outstanding loan balance on ASB x5 3 83;

n. On or about May 17, 2010, K. KEALOHA transferred $1,000 from a Trust Account to pay for L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA's personal expenses;

o. On or about July 12, 2010, K. KEALOHA transferred $2,440 from a Trust Account to pay for L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA's personal expenses, including the cost of refinancing their home;

p. On or about January 21, 2011, K. KEALOHA transferred $203 from a Trust Account to pay for overdraft charges on L. KEALOHA and K. KEALOHA's personal bank account; and

q. On or about January 4, 2012, K. KEALOHA used all the remaining funds in a Trust Account - over $49,000 - to pay off the outstanding loan balance on ASB x3126.

16. On numerous occasions in 2011 and 2012, Attorney 1 asked K. KEALOHA about the status and disposition of the Trust Accounts.  K. KEALOHA provided false and misleading information to Attorney 1 about the Trust Accounts, and concealed the fact that K. KEALOHA and L. KEALOHA had misappropriated almost $150,000 from the Trust Accounts.  For example:

a. On August 2-3, 2011, K. KEALOHA sent emails to her alias, "Alison Lee Wong," which she then forwarded to Attorney l's law firm, in order to make it appear that K. KEALOHA was actively working towards closing out R. T. and A. T. 's guardianships.

b. On August 7, 2011, K. KEALOHA sent an email to Attorney l's law firm claiming that "Alison" had "put together the final accounting [for R. T. ]" and had called R. T. regarding signing the necessary documents to finalize R. T. 's account.

c. On or about September 26, 2011, K. KEALOHA sent an email to Attorney l's law firm, claiming she "plan[ned] on meeting with Alison [Lee Wong]" in several days to "go over the documents that [R.T.] dropped off."

d. On or about October 26, 2011, using the alias "Alison Lee Wong," K. KEALOHA sent a fraudulent email to Attorney l's law firm regarding closing out R.T. and A.T. 's guardianships, and falsely represented that Alison Lee Wong was "making sure all necessary documents are signed."

read … Indictment