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A former Unity House consultant who pleaded not guilty last year to wire fraud and tax evasion faces additional charges. Former Unity House
consultant accused of
additional fraud chargesBy Debra Barayuga
Star-BulletinA federal grand jury named Roberta Cabral yesterday in an 11-count superseding indictment, charging her with mail fraud, aiding and abetting mail fraud, tax evasion and failure to file income tax returns.
Cabral and former Unity House Executive Director Roderick "Roddy" Rodriguez were indicted last August on charges linked to a 1990 federal case where four men were convicted in a $10 million investment scam against the labor organization that represents active and retired members of Teamsters Local 996 and Local 5.
Rodriguez was found dead of an apparent suicide Aug. 8 after he failed to appear for an arraignment on the charges.
According to yesterday's indictment, Cabral and Rodriguez are accused of concocting a scheme to defraud Unity House between March 23 and April 4, 1994 by having the labor organization fund the one-hour TV movie "Heavenly Road," which later was to be the basis for a proposed TV series called "Blue Hawaii."
The two persuaded the president of DeFalco West Advertising to pad the budget of "Heavenly Road" to hide from the Unity House board of directors that Cabral would receive a $150,000 kickback, the indictment says.
Unity House was told that the budget for the movie should be increased by $100,000 so that DeFalco West could pay full union scale wages comparable to other movie projects.
Cabral, president of DeFalco Pacific Advertising, received $20,000 from DeFalco West in April 1994, of which $15,000 was later transferred to an account that she controlled.
Cabral received an additional $5,000 in May 1994, of which $3,000 was transferred to her account.
Rodriguez allegedly assisted DeFalco West in making subsequent requests to Unity House for additional funding to turn "Heavenly Road" into a syndicated TV series.
Cabral agreed to help Rodriguez avoid paying income taxes by using the $150,000 kickback money she was expecting to pay federal income taxes on the total commissions both received from a $10 million Unity House investment.
The wire fraud charges stem from faxes sent by DeFalco West, Cabral and Rodriguez requesting disbursement of funds.
The indictment said Cabral evaded paying about $108,000 in tax liabilities for the tax year 1993 and $6,195 in tax year 1992 by hiding her interest in a limited liability company called Honua Group.