Working in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Secret Service, detectives with Hawaii Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) located and apprehended four individuals wanted on multiple counts of forgery within the Kailua-Kona area.

The two men and two women, all from Kailua-Kona, are responsible for the creation and dissemination of fraudulent business checks throughout the Kailua-Kona area, dating back to February of this year, resulting in the theft of U.S. currency from various businesses and banks.

After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s office, the two women, 42-year-old Lealofitaute Soares and 25-year-old Bailey Kurashige, and one of the men, 30-year-old Chandler Palakiko, were arrested and charged on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. The second man, 26-year-old Lane Miyake-Kamahele, was arrested and charged on Wednesday, Nov. 10. The four individuals were charged with following crimes.

Soares, Kurashige, and Palakiko were each charged with one count of forgery in the first-degree and one count of criminal conspiracy. Each of them had bail set at $17,000 and they all remained in police custody until their initial court appearances on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

Miyake-Kamahele was charged with one count of forgery in the first-degree and one count of criminal conspiracy. His bail was also set at $17,000. He remained in police custody until his initial court appearance on Friday, Nov. 12.

Police ask anyone who may have additional information on the incidents to contact Detective Tyler Prokopec of the Area II Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 326-4646 ext. 224 or email at tyler.prokopec@hawaiicounty.gov.