Airport contractors
plead not guiltyThe two men are accused
of inflating repair contract bids
Two contractors indicted by a federal grand jury last week in an alleged scheme to fix bids on repair and maintenance contracts at Honolulu Airport entered not guilty pleas yesterday in U.S. District Court.
Michael Furukawa of MF Masonry and Wesley Uemura of Wes' Contracting are the first to be charged in federal court in the alleged scheme that netted them about $4 million and involved kickbacks, according to federal prosecutors who are working with the state Attorney General's Office.
A 33-count indictment filed June 30 charges the two with conspiracy and mail fraud for sending inflated bids via U.S. mail from 1998 to 2001.
Furukawa is a cousin of former state airport official Richard Okada; both men were arrested by state investigators in 2002, but not charged.
U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang allowed Uemura and Furukawa to remain free pending trial as long as each posts a $50,000 bond.
Half of Furukawa's bond was to be secured with a mortgage on his home or other form of security.
Attorneys for both defendants declined to respond directly to the charges.
"Mr. Furukawa and Mr. Uemura are presumed innocent and we're looking forward to the opportunity at trial to respond to the government's allegations," said Cliff Hunt, attorney for Uemura.
Howard Luke, attorney for Furukawa, said they have requested some of the government's evidence and will respond in court.
Trial was set for Sept. 8.
Six others were charged in state court in connection with the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.