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Raid uncovers
possible fraud
Police find various equipment
in a Kakaako warehouse
Police evicting homeless people from a vacant Kakaako warehouse owned by Japanese billionaire Gensiro Kawamoto may have uncovered a theft and counterfeiting operation.
Kawamoto was on hand yesterday morning when police officers evicted seven people who were apparently living on the nearly half-block property bordered by Queen, South and Keawe streets.
The downtown Crime Reduction Unit and patrol officers dug through the mess found inside the warehouse. Police said they discovered passports, credit cards, driver's licenses and checkbooks, along with computer equipment and laminating machines, inside a large workroom inside the warehouse.
Police said the computers might have been used to create fake IDs and counterfeit checks.
Lt. Jerry Inouye said a large number of cell phones and calling cards were also recovered. Some of the items were probably taken in car thefts, Inouye said.
He said police would try to find the owners of the items and would continue to investigate the possible counterfeiting and fraud case.
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Kawamoto was there "just to see what was going on," said his attorney John Pierre "Pete" Manaut. Kawamoto was unaware of any possible illegal activity, other than trespassing, Manaut said.
Kawamoto "didn't want to create any obvious ill will," Manaut said. "He wanted to give them an opportunity to remove themselves and their things."
Kawamoto purchased 170 Hawaii properties in the late 1980s. In 2002 he tried to sell half of them, but many had fallen into disrepair.
Manaut said he did not know whether the Kakaako property was for sale or how long it had been vacant.
Police entered the property this morning after receiving numerous complaints from residents of a nearby condominium building, who reported seeing people entering the fenced property.
"I've seen him go in," said condominium resident Lois Bunin, 79, who was on the scene as police questioned a homeless man and woman.
Bunin assisted police in finding the owner and manager of the property by making numerous calls to the city and property management companies.
"I've been watching 'em since the three-alarm fire three to four months ago," Bunin said. "We knew there was homeless living here. I kept seeing people come and go, come and go."
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Sgt. Larry Santos Jr. said police had difficulty getting authorization to enter the private property since the owner was in Japan.
"It's always good when the community supports us," Santos said. "The community becomes our eyes and ears."
Homeless people apparently had converted the large warehouse into living areas and a work space, with a toilet, makeshift kitchens and showers. The electricity and water were not shut off until last week, police said.
Occupants had set up living spaces with bedding, personal items, books on bookshelves, piles of clothes, stereos and TVs. Kitchen areas were equipped with microwave ovens, rice cookers and toasters and were stocked with cabbages, potatoes and condiments, police said.
The warehouse was also filled with what appeared to be stolen items, including TVs, VCRs and car and bicycle parts, police said.
Police arrested a 40-year-old man hiding in a crawl space for trespassing. Two men, ages 50 and 47, who were wanted on traffic warrants, were also arrested.
One man was issued a trespass warning but was not arrested. Police also issued warnings to a man and woman who were found in a separate building while police investigated the warehouse.
Kawamoto was having his employees clean and board up the property yesterday.
Police said they will place items of value, such as computer equipment, bicycles and tools, on display for the public to inspect.
Word of Life Christian Center was the last tenant to occupy the property, vacating it in August 1999. It had leased the property for five years and nearly purchased the property, but the deal fell through when underground contamination was discovered during closing, according to Charlie Lorenz, Word of Life assistant pastor.
