8 with isle ties are on
marshals’ wanted list

CORRECTION Thursday, February 24, 2005 » Christian Valendia, who is on the U.S. Marshals Service most wanted list in Hawaii, is 31. His age was incorrectly given as 21 in a Page A5 article yesterday. Also, all the crimes listed are federal cases. The article incorrectly reported that not all of the cases are federal. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

Michael Van Hohenstein sold illegal scramblers or black boxes to customers wanting free cable television service and made millions.

After he was convicted, the government seized a large amount of cash from his safe deposit box, but Van Hohenstein "probably had a whole bunch of money left over," said Deputy U.S. Marshal Russell Nakasato.

The 49-year-old, who has Hawaii ties, is one of eight of the 10 most wanted who remain at large on the U.S. Marshals Service latest posters. Two fugitives have been caught.

The Marshals Service is asking for the public's assistance in finding these fugitives wanted on felony warrants in Hawaii. Not all are federal cases, however.

"These are the hard ones to catch," Nakasato said.

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Fuamete Fuiava, 39, wanted for violating supervised release, and originally charged with bank robbery, is believed to have fled to Western Samoa, which does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

Authorities believe Young Tanimoto, 49, a known crack distributor in the Chinatown "Weed and Seed" area, may still be conducting such activity in the area.

Chan Nyun Kim, 49, who failed to surrender for sentencing in a California case on drug charges, is believed to be in Korea.

Christian Valendia, 21, wanted for distribution of narcotics, is thought to be in Colombia or somewhere in South America, Nakasato said.

Samuel K. Paiaina, 54, served time for a bank robbery in the 1990s, but failed a drug test while on supervised release and disappeared. Paiaina is homeless, making him difficult to find, Nakasato said.

Xu Wen Jun, 38, wanted for visa fraud and filing false tax returns, fled to mainland China.

Xu was a tax preparer on Maui who filed numerous illegal false tax returns for immigrants, who paid him $1,000 and "got an outrageous amount of money back," Nakasato said.

Rodney Asuega, 35, who is wanted for distributing methamphetamine between San Francisco and Hawaii, is likely on the mainland.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of these fugitives is asked to call the U.S. Marshals office at 541-3000.