Posted on: Friday, July 27, 2001

O'ahu woman faces more theft charges

By David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mabel Elena Maria, a key figure in the "cargo container scam" that bilked hundreds of local investors out of millions of dollars in the early 1980s, was indicted by an O'ahu grand jury on new theft charges yesterday for allegedly cheating four more people out of nearly $15,000.

The latest charges against Maria were filed on top of a May indictment that accused her of stealing about $24,400 from O'ahu residents in three separate fraud schemes.

The latest indictment accuses Maria of cheating three people out of $4,365 that was supposed to be used to purchase food for a baby lu'au, but was not, and taking $10,000 from an O'ahu man to whom Maria promised to transfer a Public Utilities Commission license to own and operate a tractor-trailer rig. The license was never transferred.

Maria, who is confined to the O'ahu Community Correctional Center and unable to post $400,000 bail in connection with the May indictment, faces an additional $400,000 bail from yesterday's indictment.