On Monday, U.S. prosecutor William Akina provided a possible window into Hawaii’s criminal underworld as he detailed the charges against a Honolulu businessman. Among the crimes he is accused of committing are the abduction of a 72-year-old accountant who was in debt, the discharge of a poisonous chemical into the nightclubs of a rival, and the assassination of his son’s closest friend.
Prosecutors said seven acquaintances of Michael Miske Jr. were arrested when he was prosecuted in 2020. On Saturday, his half-brother was among those who entered guilty pleas; hence, the trial began with Miske as the sole defendant.
As his lawyer, Michael Kennedy presented a vastly different image of Miske
in his opening statement. Kennedy stated that 49-year-old Miske wasn’t a crime lord but a “self-made man” who was able to build a family company named Kamaʻaina Termite and Pest Control despite coming from a down-and-out background.
According to Kennedy, when the Honolulu city government could not pay the $200,000 estimate, nice-guy Miske volunteered to fumigate a music hall at no cost.
The nightclubs controlled by Miske, according to Akina, were places where his “thugs” would physically abuse patrons if they argued about payment. Akina said that he amassed millions from the underground sale of commercial-grade aerial fireworks.
According to the prosecutor, the businessman allegedly trained residents of his Waimanalo area to commit violent robberies of drug traffickers and do other tasks.
Miske had several hit men on his hit list, but only one went through: the 2016 murder of Johnathan Fraser, who was Caleb’s best friend and the only son of Miske.
Miske blamed Fraser for the 2015 vehicle accident that killed Caleb because Miske had long believed that Fraser was a negative influence on Caleb.
Despite repeated requests, the remains of Fraser have never been located; nonetheless, an indictment claims that Miske bought a boat with the intent to dispose of the body.
During Monday’s jury deliberations, Kennedy informed the audience that Miske denied any involvement in the collision or Fraser’s abduction.
The beginning of the testimony is set for Tuesday.
