LIHUE — Karen M. Kapua, 53, formerly a lieutenant of the Kauai Police Department, was charged with stealing $75,000 belonging to the County of Kauai, and with money laundering arising out of her use of a portion of the money to
LIHUE — Karen M. Kapua, 53, formerly a lieutenant of the Kauai Police Department, was charged with stealing $75,000 belonging to the County of Kauai, and with money laundering arising out of her use of a portion of the money to pay off her personal debts.
Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that Kapua was charged in an indictment with three offenses involving the theft of money from the County of Kauai, which received federal grants of more than $10,000 annually, including grants from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the indictment alleges that, on three separate occasions between Dec. 23, 2013 and Dec. 5, 2014, Kapua stole $25,000 in funds belonging to the County of Kauai, for a total of $75,000. The indictment further charges that, on Dec. 8, 2014, Kapua laundered the proceeds of one of the theft offenses by making a $11,457.98 wire transfer to pay off her debts.
According to Nakakuni, Kapua was arrested without incident Thursday morning on Kauai. Kapua was brought to Honolulu, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges, and trial was set for March 15, 2016, before Chief United States District Judge J. Michael Seabright. Kapua was released on bail and allowed to return to Kauai.
If convicted of the charges, Kapua would face a sentence of up to 10 years on each of the theft and money laundering offenses.
