By Sally Apgar
Advertiser Staff Writer
Embattled former state senator Marshall Ige turned himself in this morning to authorities after a criminal complaint was filed against him that charges theft, attempt to evade or defeat taxes, money laundering and extortion.
Ige is scheduled to appear in Honolulu District Court tomorow. Ige is not being held but it was not immediately clear what the details of his bail or release are.
Ige was charged last year with misdemeanor campaign spending charges for allegedly not reporting a campaign expense, not listing a campaign contribution and making false statements to investigators. He is scheduled for trial next month.
Ige lost his Senate seat representing Kane'ohe and Kailua to his Democratic challenger, Solomon Nalua'i, in the primary last September.
The criminal complaint, filed yesterday against Ige by Attorney General Earl Anzai, alleges Ige commited theft in the first degree when he convinced a California couple to give him a $30,000 check for legal services involving the couple's daughter that he was supposed to perform for the couple.
The charges of money laundering and tax evasion stem from Ige allegedly instructing the couple to make the check payable to a friend of Iges. The friend in turn gradually moved the money back to Ige by making several deposits in a business account owned by Iges wife.
The charges of second-degree theft and second-degree extortion stem from a separate incident in which Ige allegedly threatened a farmer, who subleased land from him, with eviction unless he paid him $7,000.
The charges of tax evasion, first-degree theft and money laundering are Class B felonies that carry a maximum 10 years in prison. Evasion of taxes, extortion and second-degree theft are Class C felonies punishable by a maximum prison term of 5 years.
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