Hawaii – Financial Treason & Crime

Kailua man receives over 24 years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering

Department of Justice, 17 June 2021

HONOLULU – United States District Judge Derrick K. Watson sentenced Justin K. Wilcox, aka Justin Kaanoi, aka Ali’i, 39, of Kailua, Hawaii, today to concurrent imprisonment terms of 295 months and 240 months for his roles in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and commit money laundering, respectively. Wilcox previously pled guilty on August 5, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute and possess, with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Wilcox also received with five- and three-year concurrent terms of supervised release to follow imprisonment.

Judith A. Philips, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii, stated that according to court documents and information presented in court, Wilcox was the Oahu leader and organizer of the drug conspiracy which operated in Hawaii and involved more than five members with drugs supplied by a Las Vegas, Nevada source. The sentencing court found Wilcox responsible for the possession and distribution of 3,880 grams of pure methamphetamine, or “ice,” and 1,393 grams of cocaine. Continue reading “Article: Kailua man receives over 24 years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering”

FBI probing federal contractor’s donations to Sen. Collins’ campaign

Dennis Hoey, Portland Press Herald, Maine, 19 May 2021

A Department of Defense contractor with ties to Maine is under investigation by the U.S. government for allegedly making illegal contributions to Sen. Susan Collins’ 2020 re-election campaign.

An FBI search warrant in the investigation names Martin Kao and Clifford Chen. Kao is the former president and CEO of Hawaii-based Navatek — now known as Martin Defense Group — and Chen was Navatek’s chief financial officer at the time the contributions were made. The contractor is based in Honolulu and has offices in Maine, Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kansas and South Carolina.

Kao and Chen are accused of making illegal contributions of about $45,000 to Collins’ re-election campaign and $150,000 to the independently operated 1820 PAC, which supported the Republican’s re-election bid. Donations of that nature constitute violations of federal law that prohibit federal contractors from making political contributions, according to FBI Special Agent Michelle Ball, who filed an application for a search warrant on April 7. The warrant, which had to be executed before April 21, was authorized by U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey. Continue reading “Article: FBI probing federal contractor’s donations to Sen. Collins’ campaign”