Son claims innocence in forgery and theft
The city worker faces charges of cashing his late father's disability and retirement checks
PROSECUTORS say a Waipahu man allegedly stole nearly $100,000 from the city and state by cashing his dead father's disability and state retirement checks.
Clarence Carvalho Jr., 43, a city employee for 16 years, pleaded not guilty Monday in Circuit Court. Trial was set for trial Jan. 23.
He was indicted Nov. 3 with first-degree theft from the city, second-degree theft from the state, money laundering and 12 counts of second-degree forgery. Carvalho turned himself in Nov. 15 and was released after posting $11,000 bail.
According to prosecutors, Carvalho allegedly signed four years worth of disability checks belonging to his father, about $92,000, from as early as July 2000 and either deposited or cashed them.
He also allegedly obtained 14 state retirement checks over a period of one year, beginning on or about Aug. 14, 1998, according to the indictment.
His father, Clarence Carvalho of Kailua, died Aug. 6, 1998, at age 77, according to an obituary. The elder Carvalho was also a city employee who was injured on the job sometime in 1972, prosecutors said.
Eleven forgery counts stem from Carvalho Jr. endorsing the disability checks that were meant for his father, as shown by the Social Security number on the check stubs, said Deputy Prosecutor Paul Mow.
The remaining forgery count refers to a medical disclosure document sent out to workers compensation recipients that Carvalho Jr. allegedly filled out in 2000 and returned, Mow said. That form was meant for his father, but Carvalho allegedly filled out the form with his information, but with the date of his father's injury, Mow said.
Neither Carvalho, nor his attorney could be reached for comment.
Carvalho is a refuse worker in the road division of the Department of Facilities Maintenance, city spokesman Bill Brennan confirmed.
In a Star-Bulletin story on graffiti in May this year, Carvalho was quoted as head of the city's graffiti crew in the Honolulu area.
Carvalho was still on the job yesterday.