A 68-year-old Hilo man pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree theft for stealing more than $45,000 from two Big Island churches.
A 68-year-old Hilo man pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree theft for stealing more than $45,000 from two Big Island churches.
Hilo Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura set sentencing for Edward Hanohano for 8 a.m. May 5. First-degree theft is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000 or both. In a deal with prosecutors, Hanohano will receive a deferred acceptance of his guilty plea if he presents a cashier’s check for $10,000 to the church, Hoomana Naauao o Hawaii, at the time of sentencing and restitution in an amount to be determined later.
Other terms include probation with a jail term of up to 18 months with credit for time served and the remainder stayed. The deferral means the felony conviction will be erased from the record if Hanohano complies with terms of his sentence and doesn’t commit another crime.
Hanohano told the judge he took the money to pay “my rent and my bills.” When asked if the amount exceeded $20,000, the threshold for first-degree theft, he replied: “I guess so.”
“So you’re not disputing that?” Nakamura inquired.
“No,” Hanohano said.
Hanohano, who walked with a cane, told the judge he was taking medication for diabetes, cholesterol, heart and kidney ailments.
According to church officials, Hanohano, the former secretary for Ke Kilohana oka Malamalama on Manono Street in Hilo, used a debit card to steal from accounts for that church and Ka Mauloa oka Malamalama church in Kurtistown. According to the indictment, the thefts occurred between Nov. 30, 2005, and Dec. 2, 2010. Both churches are affiliated with Hoomana Naauao o Hawaii, the first independent Christian denomination in Hawaii.
H. Kanoeokalani Cheek, Hoomana Naauao o Hawaii’s secretary, said the Hilo church building is in need of repair and will be renovated. In a letter dated Feb. 26, she wrote that church members “know that this will be an uphill battle since most of the monies which could have been used for church repairs were taken by Mr. Hanohano.”
In her letter, she said church members “wanted the community to know just how devastating this has been to our churches and organization.”
Cheek said none of the church’s officials or pastors receive a salary for their services.
Cheek and The Rev. Joseph P. “Pekelo” Recca, Hoomana Naauao o Hawaii’s vice president, said after the hearing they didn’t know Hanohano had a debit card for church accounts.
“Nobody knew,” Recca said.
Recca, who said he’s known Hanohano “since we were kids,” approached Hanohano afterward and embraced him. As Hanohano, who is free on supervised release, left the courthouse corridor, Recca said, “God bless you.”
Recca said since the theft was uncovered, pastors have to initial the bank statement, making sure that they are correct.
Cheek said procedures were in place for financial oversight but were not followed.
“He would tell the treasurer, ‘I’ll do your report.’ And the treasurer would say, ‘Oh, OK,’” she said. “And that’s where the problem was. He started doing everything and everybody depended upon him to do everything.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.