Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Ex-ticket agent indicted for fraud
A former ticket agent with Panda Travel was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on eight counts of wire fraud for allegedly issuing airline tickets to family and friends without collecting payment.
Faanati S. Failauga also was charged with one count of using a reservations access code without authorization. If convicted, she faces a maximum five years in prison on each of the wire fraud counts, 10 years on the access count, and a fine of $250,000 on each count.
Failauga worked as a ticket agent with Panda Travel from 1997 until October 2001 and had access to a code that allowed her to reserve airline flights and purchase tickets, according to the indictment. The agency's policy was for agents to fill out a reservation card and to be sure payment was received before issuing a ticket.
But from as early as May 2000 through September 2001, Failauga is accused of issuing tickets to relatives and friends without filling out a card or taking payment. In some instances, Failauga collected money, but did not turn it over to Panda Travel, the indictment said.
The indictment accuses her of issuing tickets worth nearly $52,000. She is scheduled to be arraigned next week in U.S. District Court.
Big Island shooting suspect charged
Big Island police have charged a 40-year-old man with several felony offenses stemming from a shooting Sunday night in the Seaview Estates subdivision of Puna.
The man, identified as Kevin Anthony Sulgit of Mapuana Street, was charged with seven counts of first-degree reckless endangering, one count of first-degree criminal property damage and one count of illegally keeping firearms.
Sulgit is being held in the Hilo police cellblock in lieu of $11,000 bail.
Sulgit was arrested about 11 p.m. Sunday when officers responded to a report of a shooting in Seaview Estates.
The victim, identified as Michael Patrick Hartman, 20, of Seaview Estates, suffered a head wound and had been taken to the Pahoa Fire Station by another person.
Big Island blaze ruled arson
A fire that caused an estimated $10,000 in damage to a Big Island building Tuesday night was intentionally set, according to Big Island fire officials.
Fire companies responded to the 8:52 p.m. fire alarm in the Hawaiian Acres Subdivision and had the fire under control at 9:21 p.m.
The fire destroyed a building that was attached to a motorhome-type vehicle. A neighbor, who called the fire department, said he heard yelling in the area about an hour before the fire. Fire officials said a man accused his ex-girlfriend of starting the fire after he ran away from the building. No one was injured.
Man gets probation in Las Vegas thefts
The companion of a man sentenced last month to life in prison in the September 2000 shooting death of former Maui resident Heather Vitarelli at Harrah's casino on the Las Vegas Strip was given no jail time for pleading guilty to four counts of theft.
Clark County District Court Judge Michael Cherry last Friday placed Michael Frimmel on probation for 24-60 months. Frimmel was given credit for 240 days spent in jail. The four theft counts are related to purse-snatchings in casinos.
Stephen Mullen earlier pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, attempted murder and two "use of deadly weapon" counts. The shot that killed Vitarelli was fired from Mullen's gun during a struggle in the casino with a security officer, who had confronted him following a purse-snatching.
