December 20, 2025 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Saturday, December 20, 2025

December 20, 2025 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:42 PM :: 346 Views

HHS acts to bar taxpayer-funded sex-change procedures

Kona, Kahului Most Expensive Car Rentals in USA

Caldwell Planning Commissioner Among Four arrested and charged with gambling promotion

SA: … Kelfred Chang, 59, Gifford Chang, 57, Amelia Chang, also known as Amelia Watanabe, 63, were arrested today at the main police station, and were released after each posting $20,000 bail.

(CLUE: Gifford Chang was appointed to the Honolulu Planning Commission 2017-2021 by Caldwell. LINK.)

A fourth person, Hubert Chang, 65, was arrested Friday at his home in East Honolulu with an estimated value of $2.5 million according to Zillow. He was also released on bail.

The charging document says the four allegedly negligently advanced gambling activity by materially aiding gambling activity on the following dates: Oct. 29, 2024, Nov. 26, 2024, Feb. 5 and Feb. 13….

(The usual mafia stuff: Fireworks, gambling, political appointments, and 'Beach Boy' operations.)

2002: Mafia Waikiki 'Beach Boy' operations monopolized by Chang brothers

2011: Archived: Honolulu man charged with fireworks smuggling in ICE, ATF probe | ICE

2022: Caldwell’s planning commissioner beat rap on Illegal Fireworks--owns Palolo site of 3 gambling raids

KITV: Siblings charged in first game room case | Crime & Courts | kitv.com The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office has charged four siblings in what officials said is the first case brought against property owners under Hawaii’s new game room law, Act 249.

read … 4 arrested and charged with gambling promotion | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Sovereignty Movement Money Laundering: Woman gets 18 months in prison for tax scam

SA: … A 66-year-old Honolulu woman will spend 18 months in federal prison and pay more than $1.6 million in restitution for her role in a scam to file false tax returns and use local businesses, banks and trusts to launder the refunds.

(NAMES not included in this article: John Waihee, Gary Dubin, Keanu Sai, Dexter Kaiama, UH, and the Maui County Council.)

Hannah Heart caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,618,985.54 and is required to pay it all back.

Heart and and her co-conspirator, Sook Young Jung, were among six people charged in connection with the tax scam. Jung was sentenced to seven months in federal prison on Sept.22.

Heart entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice on May 22 when she also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and to mail fraud.

Jung pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the federal government as part of a March 20, 2024, plea agreement.

On Sept. 9, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a 45-count superseding indictment alleging that Rosemarie Lastimado-Dradi, Marciaminajuanequita Dumlao, Elvah Miranda, Daniel Miranda, and two others conspired to defraud the U.S.

The business at the center of the scheme was “co-conspirator 1,” the owner of Gimmel Group LLC, a local firm that “purported to be a personal investment business,” according to the 15-count indictment handed down July 15, 2021.

Gimmel Group was incorporated April 29, 2015, and administratively terminated by the state on Dec. 7, 2018, according to records from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Lastimado-Dradi was the owner of the Gimmel Group LLC, a domestic limited-liability company in Hawaii that “purported to be a personal investment business,” according to court documents.

Additionally, Lastimado-Dradi was charged with aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and the Mirandas and Dumlao were charged with filing false tax returns and with making false statements under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.

The superseding indictment also charged Lastimado-Dradi, Dumlao and Elvah Miranda with money laundering.

They all face up to five years in prison for conspiracy….

HART audit concludes results are positive, rail agency says (LOL!)

SA: … (best comment) “It's like living in China, under Xi. Always must say project is positive, no matter what... Or get replaced.” ….

read … HART audit concludes results are positive, rail agency says | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Hawaii Cuts Sugary Foods, Beverages from SNAP—leads to flip-flop

BIN: … Hawaiʻi is among six states set to impose new restrictions on what types of food can be purchased with benefits from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — still commonly referred to as food stamps — as announced recently through U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Make America Healthier Again initiative….

Sugary products play a clear role in many preventable health conditions, but a SNAP-specific ban is not an effective public health strategy, say Hawaiʻi Appleseed, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute and Hawaiʻi Childrenʻs Action Network Speaks! in a recent joint press release outlining their opposition to the new restrictions

(TRANSLATION: If they can’t buy this stuff with EBT, how can we tax them?)

The real barrier to healthy eating is affordability.

Hawaiʻi families who already struggle to make ends meet can barely cover basics; this new limitation only restricts choice and attacks low-income people.

(IQ Test: Are you laughing?)

FLASHBACK 2013: Abercrombie to Push Penny an Ounce Soda Tax

read … Organizations say new SNAP limits mean higher costs, fewer choices for Hawaiʻi families : Big Island Now

Green: $16.5M to keep Hawaii residents on Obamacare

HNN: … Green proposed that the state make up the lost subsidies with a state tax credit for about 8,000 ACA customers.

“The analysis we did is that to do the enhanced subsidy that Congress walked away from for now would cost $16.5 million,” Green said….

read … Rising premiums, reduced subsidies may push Hawaii residents off ACA plans

Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission appoints first-ever Chief of Ocean Safety

KITV: … The Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission has appointed Kurt Lager to serve as the first-ever Chief of Ocean Safety on Friday.

Lager, a 20-year veteran of Honolulu Ocean Safety, was selected on Friday, Dec. 19, to be the department’s first Chief of Ocean Safety after a unanimous decision by the five-member Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission. Since July 2024, he had served as the appointed director of Honolulu Ocean Safety and his candidacy was backed by Mayor Rick Blangiardi….

SA: New Ocean Safety chief selected is a 20-year lifeguard veteran | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

KHON: Honolulu Ocean Safety new Chief, Kurt Lager

read … Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission appoints first-ever Chief of Ocean Safety | News | kitv.com

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