|
Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
|
Man gets prison term for fraud and piracy
Federal Judge David Ezra sentenced a 62-year-old Honolulu man yesterday to five years and 11 months in federal prison for numerous counts of bank and credit card fraud, money laundering and copyright infringement.
Abraham Nguyen Martin pleaded guilty March 18 to committing numerous acts of fraud using identification, banking and credit information stolen from victims' mailboxes, homes and cars, according to a press release from the U.S. attorney's office.
After obtaining the information, Martin would withdraw funds from the victims' bank accounts, open new credit accounts in their names and buy items on the Internet, U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said.
Martin opened bank accounts in California, Texas and Alabama, and used victims' money to pay off his car loan and his wife's business debts.
He was also convicted for running a video piracy operation in his home, where Martin copied copyrighted Asian-language movies and soap operas he sold and rented at Tan Tien Video, which he ran.
Lawyer suspended for ethics violations
The Hawaii Supreme Court suspended attorney Roy M. Yoshino, 60, from practicing law for one year and one day effective Dec. 29 for numerous ethics violations in four cases.
He is unable to practice law in Hawaii until he has been reinstated by the Supreme Court.
Yoshino is prohibited from accepting retainers, clients or legal matters and must return all unearned retainers and files to his clients by Dec. 29.
Yoshino settled claims in one case without the client's authorization by using a revoked power of attorney.
In three of the four cases, he deposited the clients' settlement checks into his general business accounts. In another case he failed to notify the clients he had withdrawn as their attorney and neglected to send them their files.
Yoshino also failed to provide written fee agreements in some contingency fee cases and failed to provide written settlement statements for some clients.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff
WAIKIKI
Man allegedly forced girl into prostitution
Police arrested a 22-year-old man after he allegedly kidnapped a 15-year-old girl and forced her into prostitution for two days.
The suspect allegedly befriended the victim last Thursday, took her to a Waikiki hotel room and sexually assaulted her. Police said he allowed a friend, a 24-year-old man, to also sexually assault her.
The victim was unable to escape because the suspect threatened her physically and verbally, according to police. The suspect also forced her to work as a prostitute in the downtown area, police said.
Over the weekend, the victim escaped while the 24-year-old man was in the bathroom, police said. She immediately notified police.
On Monday, officers arrested the 22-year-old at the Hawaii Polo Inn and Tower at 1696 Ala Moana Blvd. for investigation of first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, promoting prostitution and having a restricted electric gun. Police were still looking for the other man.
LEEWARD OAHU
Boyfriend is sought in woman's beating
Honolulu police are looking for a 33-year-old man who allegedly threatened and beat his girlfriend on Monday.
Police said that at about 8 a.m., Mark Kainuma threatened his girlfriend with a handgun as they were arguing. Kainuma and his girlfriend then got into his car, and while driving he hit her repeatedly, giving her a black eye and bruises, police said.
Police said the girlfriend escaped from the vehicle in the late afternoon and ran to a nearby home in Waipio Gentry. From there she was taken to an area hospital, where she was treated and released.
Police said Kainuma is known to frequent the Pearl City, Waipio and Mililani areas. He is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 155 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or by dialing *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Suspected car thief falls asleep at wheel
Police responded yesterday afternoon to a call of a man slumped over the steering wheel with the engine running at a traffic light in Waianae.
Police dispatch notified the officers that the car had been stolen. Upon arrival the officers found the driver, a 26-year-old man with no local address, had fallen asleep. They woke him and arrested him for auto theft, third-degree promotion of dangerous drugs and driving without a license. The arrest was made at 12:45 p.m. yesterday at Laaloa Street and Farrington Highway.
WINDWARD OAHU
Driver and stolen car found soon after theft
Police arrested an auto theft suspect about 20 minutes after the car he was driving was reported stolen.
Officers pulled over a car at about 12:45 a.m. after it was seen going 56 mph in a 35 mph zone in Kailua. When asked for the driver's license and the vehicle's paperwork, the suspect, 23, could not comply, police said. Officers learned that the car had been reported stolen at 12:26 a.m. from the McCully area and arrested the man for investigation of auto theft.
Family acquaintance accused of sex assault
Police are investigating the alleged first-degree sexual assault of a 15-year-old Kailua girl by a man who lives with her family.
The girl said the suspect, a 20-year-old man, sexually assaulted her, police said. The assault allegedly occurred about noon Monday. Police have made no arrests in the case.
