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Kahapea indicted
in laundry scam

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By Treena Shapiro
Star-Bulletin

Michael Kahapea, already facing possible life in prison for theft of $5.8 million from the Ewa Villages relocation fund, has been indicted again by an Oahu grand jury.

This time, Kahapea is accused in the theft of at least $200,000 from washerettes at two city apartment buildings.

Kahapea, who was in charge of the city laundry collections projects at Kulana Nani Apartments and Westlake Apartments, is now charged with one count of theft in the first degree, one count of money laundering and one count of racketeering, according to Deputy Prosecutor Randal Lee.

According to the indictment, the laundry scam took place from January 1992 through October 1997.

Lee couldn't comment on the details of the case, except to say Kahapea "took the laundry funds."

Last month, Kahapea was convicted of 43 counts, including 22 counts of theft, 11 counts of forgery, five counts of unlawful ownership of a business, two counts of money laundering, two counts of failure to report income and one count of bribery.

He will only be sentenced on 12 counts of theft, but faces up to 10 years for each count.

Kahapea is facing trial for fraud in two other relocation projects in Westlock and Middle Street.

Kahapea's attorney, Donald Wilkerson, could not be reached for comment.