Whatever
Happened To...
Suspect arrested, then released
in Punahou Carnival theft caseQuestion: What ever happened to the investigation on the stolen money collected from the Punahou Carnival last year?
Answer: Police arrested a 23-year-old man on April 25 and questioned him about the stolen cash, and he was released. According to a spokesman from the city prosecutor's office, the man has not been charged, and the case is closed.
However, if new information involving the stolen money arises, the case could be reopened.
"They (police) had no evidence to arrest him," said attorney Victor Bakke, who is representing the 23-year-old man in an upcoming forfeiture hearing over a 1997 black BMW 318i that was seized by police in connection with the case.
"There's no eyewitnesses, no fingerprints. There's nothing linking my guy to it (the theft of the money)," Bakke said.
A total of $51,500 in cash, jewelry and movie tickets was stolen from the school's safe at the Sullivan Administration Building at Punahou School between 12:40 a.m. on Feb. 3 and 7 a.m. on Feb. 4, court documents say. There were no signs of forced entry into the office or the safe, and the wires to the nonfunctioning alarm system had been cut.
Investigators believe the stolen cash may have been used by the 23-year-old man, a former Punahou School student, to purchase a black 1997 BMW 318i on Feb. 14.
The 23-year-old and his brother paid for the car with $14,000 in $20 bills, $1,000 in $10 bills, $1,000 in $5 bills and $500 in $100 bills.
The 23-year-old told the seller he did not have time to go to the bank and that he just returned from Las Vegas, according to court documents.
On July 17, police seized the vehicle, which remains in their custody. The 23-year-old told police he placed the vehicle under his brother's name for insurance purposes.
"There is no basis for the forfeiture," Bakke stated in a court document. His client committed no crime, and "the allegations against him are a complete fabrication."
According to the state forfeiture law, the government can seize and forfeit any property, which includes money, that was used in the commission of the crime or is deemed to be the proceeds of the crime, Bakke said.
A person does not have to be charged or convicted to have their personal property seized by the police, he added.
A hearing on the forfeiture request is tentatively scheduled for May 5 at 10:30 a.m. in Circuit Judge Reynaldo Graulty's courtroom.
Ever wonder what happened to a person, event or issue that has been in the news? We'll find out for you if you e-mail us at cityeditors@starbulletin.com, call us at 529-4747 or write 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, HI 96813. "What Ever Happened to ..." runs Saturdays. This update was written by Nelson Daranciang.