Interpreter will repay
theft from Japanese clients

CORRECTION Saturday, December 4, 2004 » A story on Page A5 Wednesday incorrectly identified Deputy Prosecutor Paul Mow as Peter Mow. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

A Honolulu businessman has admitted to stealing about $200,000 from Japanese clients whom he had assisted in establishing themselves locally.

Shinichi Murayama, 35, pleaded guilty yesterday before Circuit Judge Richard Pollack to three counts of first-degree theft and one count of second-degree theft for intentionally taking money from various accounts opened by Japanese nationals for business or educational purposes. He was indicted by an Oahu grand jury in June 2003.

Murayama served as interpreter when his clients opened accounts at local banks. But one document he had them sign gave him power to act as their agent, said Deputy Prosecutor Peter Mow.

Over an eight-month period in 2000, Murayama cleaned out money from four bank accounts set up by members of two families, resulting in the closure of the accounts in December that year, Mow said.

The loss affected his clients' ability to set up businesses or go to school here, he said.

As part of a plea agreement, Murayama has agreed to repay the $200,000 he stole, and prosecutors will drop remaining forgery and money-laundering counts that stemmed from his signing authorization cards making him the agent and moving money from one account to the other, Mow said.

Murayama has also requested that the court defer his guilty plea when he is sentenced Feb. 22.

If the request is granted and he stays out of trouble for a specified period, the conviction will not show up as a criminal record.