Man indicted on charges
of immigrant smuggling
A 24-count superseding federal indictment has been returned against a man accused of smuggling Tongan nationals into Hawaii and forcing them to work at a pig farm in Nanakuli.
Lueleni Fetongi Maka, 50, faces four counts of human trafficking for allegedly recruiting and transporting four Tongans into the United States in 2001 to obtain their labor and services, U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo said.
Maka was also charged Thursday with four counts each of involuntary servitude and forced labor, as well as multiple counts of alien smuggling, harboring aliens and unlawful conduct by confiscating the Tongans' passports or other immigration documents, Kubo said.
The 24 counts carry a total maximum penalty of 370 years in prison.
Maka was originally indicted in February on a single count of smuggling for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, Kubo said.
In the original case, Maka was accused of attempting to smuggle a Tongan into Hawaii by having the person pose as a U.S. citizen, he said.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.