David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Attorney General Doug Chin announced that two Oahu residents were charged last Friday in separate incidents of alleged theft from State of Hawaii accounts.

In the first incident, convicted felon Michael Powers, 48 years old and a Pearl City resident, allegedly wrote 22 forged checks totaling $715,696.92 using bank routing numbers and account numbers belonging to the Hawaii budget and finance department. Powers was charged Friday with attempted first degree theft and multiple counts of forgery in the second degree.

In the second incident, Michael K. Mills, 30 years old and a Kapolei resident, allegedly billed the State of Hawaii for more than $35,000.00 in equipment and supplies that were not related to a State contract with Mills’s employer. Mills was charged Friday with first degree theft.

Attorney General Doug Chin said, “State dollars are your taxpayer dollars. People who cheat the State will be prosecuted.”

First degree Theft is a class B felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $25,000.00 fine. Forgery in the second degree is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000.00 fine.

Bail for each defendant has been set at $5,000 and bench warrants have been issued for their arrests.

Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

A copy of the indictment for each defendant is attached: Powers & Mills.

 

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For more information, contact:

 

Joshua A. Wisch

Special Assistant to the Attorney General

Phone: (808) 586-1284

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://ag.hawaii.gov

Twitter: @ATGHIgov