A 30-year-old Hilo man accused of stealing and depositing a $3,500 check from the victim’s mailbox in November has another open felony identity theft case from the same time period, according to court records.
Keoni Brian Paulino was arrested earlier this month in connection with the check theft and charged with second-degree theft, second-degree identity theft, third-degree forgery and unauthorized possession of confidential personal information.
He was freed Tuesday on supervised release — a form of cashless bail — after his court-appointed attorney, Ivan Van Leer, told Judge Jeffrey Hawk a deal had been reached with prosecutors for Paulino’s freedom in exchange for him waiving a preliminary hearing and the agreeing to the case being moved to Hilo Circuit Court.
Hawk ordered Paulino to appear at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 27 before Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto for arraignment and plea.
Bail in the case was originally set at $10,000.
According to court documents filed by police, Paulino, after being read his Miranda rights upon his Feb. 8 arrest, told police that he recalled depositing an envelope in the night depository at the Puainako branch of HFS Federal Credit Union, but didn’t know what was in the envelope.
The other case, filed on Dec. 13, also is in Hilo Circuit Court. In that case, Paulino is charged with two counts each of fraudulent use of a credit card, third-degree identity theft and fourth-degree theft, plus a single count of unauthorized possession of confidential personal information. The date of those offenses is listed as Nov. 20.
Paulino pleaded not guilty in that case and has a March 25 court date for “further proceedings.”
He is free on $4,000 bail in that case, which was reduced from $36,000.
There was a spate of mail thefts reported between November and January in places such as Waianuenue Avenue, Piihonua, Kukuau and Kinoole streets, Kaiwiki Road and in Leilani Estates subdivision in Puna.
Cheresa Coles, who lives in Wainaku, said residents there are still experiencing mail theft “almost every day.”
“On Monday, all of the mailboxes were opened, and on Wednesday, our neighbor had some packages stolen,” she said.
Coles said she was “glad” Paulino was charged, “but it appears there are other people out there, still” stealing mail.
The Hawaii Police Department is recommending residents install locked mailboxes at their homes in order to help deter theft of incoming mail — as well as dropping off outgoing mail at a secure U.S. Postal Service drop box or at a post office.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.