In court, ‘Miske Enterprise’ defendant says he was offered $50,000 to help commit murder

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Published: Jun. 9, 2021 at 5:52 PM HST|Updated: Jun. 9, 2021 at 5:59 PM HST
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Norman Akau III is the latest defendant to enter into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in the case against Honolulu businessman and suspected crime boss Michael Miske, who remains behind bars as he awaits trial on a long list of charges, including murder.

In court on Wednesday, Akau pleaded guilty to a count of racketeering, admitting that he agreed to kill people for money.

He said he was supposed to kill a man who worked at the docks because according to Akau, the man ― known as victim 12 ― did not get along with Miske.

[Read more: Prosecutors to argue alleged crime boss poses ‘grave danger’ to community]

Akau said his cousin, Wayne Miller, put a tracker on victim 12′s car and the two followed him to a restaurant in the Sand Island area. The man got a plate lunch and was about to leave when Miller called off the hit, Akau said, because Miller couldn’t remove the tracking device from the man’s car.

Akau said he had a firearm in a bag and was prepared to go through with the hit.

Akau also admitted to impersonating a police officer, using a prop badge from the set of “Hawaii Five-0.” Akau worked on film sets, most recently, “Magnum, P.I.”

Akau used the prop HPD badge and wore clothes to represent undercover officers so he and several others could rob a drug dealer of a large amount of meth, which Akau said they all divided.

But Akau told the court he refused the $50,000 offer to take part in the murder of Jonathan Fraser.

[Related coverage: Father of man who investigators say was abducted, murdered ‘still in shock’]

Fraser was 21 years old when he went missing in 2016, and his body was never found. The previous year, Fraser was in a car accident with Miske’s son, Caleb. Caleb died but Fraser survived.

Akau said Miller had a plan for the Fraser murder, which included Akau driving Fraser to the North Shore where someone else would take care of it.

Akau said he could not take part in the killing of a young person.

Miller also pleaded guilty to racketeering last year, admitting that he agreed to assist Miske with Fraser’s murder.

Akau’s attorney, Ronald Richards, said his client was ready to take responsibility for his actions.

“He was looking at life (in prison) before, if he lost and maybe a 30-year mandatory minimum, so basically a catastrophic loss that he wouldn’t have been able to turn it around,” he said.

Lindsey Kinney
Lindsey Kinney(Hawaii News Now)

Lindsey Kinney, another witness is the case said he also refused the $50,000 offer to help with the Fraser murder. Kinney said Fraser was tortured.

Kinney is not charged in the case. Rather, he testified at the federal grand jury ahead of the indictment of the group federal prosecutors call “the Miske Enterprise.”

Others alleged members of that group have already cut deals.

That includes Ashlin Akau, who said she dumped pesticide onto a crowded dance floor inside a nightclub in 2017 because, she told the court, Miske paid her $3,000 to do it.

Norman Akau faces up to 20 years in prison for the racketeering count, but Richards points out there is no mandatory minimum sentence.

“Defendants usually get better outcomes when they’re straightforward, truthful and accept responsibility and they’re useful as a witness and they have credibility,” said Richards.

Akau sentencing is scheduled for January.

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