Lindsey's fraud trial set for March in Las Vegas

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

The federal trial of former Bishop Estate trustee Lokelani Lindsey has been set for March 26 in Las Vegas.

Lindsey and her sister, Marlene Lindsey, are charged with federal bankruptcy fraud and money laundering. They were indicted by a federal grand jury last December on charges they conspired to hide assets from a trustee in Marlene Lindsey's bankruptcy case and from creditors who were owed money from Lindsey's business, Marlene's Hairstyling.

The Lindsey sisters in July were granted a change of venue after Lokelani Lindsey's attorneys argued that she could not get a fair trial in Honolulu. William Harrison, who is representing Lokelani Lindsey, asked that the trial be moved to Las Vegas.

Harrison's motion was granted and U.S District Judge David Ezra of Honolulu was assigned the case. The federal court's Ninth District includes Hawai'i and Nevada.

A motion to dismiss the charges made by Harrison originally was to be heard next week, but the hearing was postponed until mid-December, Harrison said. He said Assistant U.S. Attorney Les Osborne Jr., who is prosecuting the case, is in trial and couldn't make the hearing next week.

In 1999, Lokelani Lindsey and four other Bishop Estate trustees were ousted after state and federal investigations found evidence of mismanagement and abuse of their power.