A man in custody here on suspicion of forgery and identity theft is the focus of state and federal investigations after law enforcement officials learned at least three men vanished in the Philippines after entering into business ventures with him, according to state and federal law enforcement officers.

At least one of the men, 51-year-old John Elwin of Kaua'i, is dead, Deputy City Prosecutor Chris Van Marter said yesterday.

U.S. Navy investigators using dental records and DNA evidence confirmed Oct. 16 that Elwin, who had been missing for six months, died in the Philippines. He was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head in a province outside of Manila, according to family members.

Two other men, Douglas Ho of Honolulu and Arthur Young of Saint Louis Heights, also have been reported missing. Each formed partnerships with Henry Calucag Jr., also known as Hank Jacinto, and traveled with him to the Philippines, police said.

Honolulu police Capt. Frank Fujii said the department is investigating the business dealings Ho and Young had with Calucag prior to their disappearances in the Philippines.

"We have two open missing persons cases and we're going to look at their dealings with Calucag," he said.

At a bail hearing in O'ahu Circuit Court yesterday, Calucag's lawyers, Robert F. Miller and Jeff Hawk, said their client had nothing to do with Elwin's death. They also said they had never heard of the two other men police say disappeared after traveling to the Philippines with Calucag. Miller said Calucag was not in the country at the time Elwin is believed to have been shot and killed.

The lawyers asked that Calucag be granted bail so that he can attend to his businesses in the Philippines.

"My client has nothing to do with it (Elwin's death) and doesn't know anything about it," Hawk said as he left the courtroom. "He hasn't killed anyone and he hasn't had anyone disappear."

Added Miller: "The man is innocent until proven guilty. It is an accusation."

Arguing against the bail request, prosecutor Van Marter said that Elwin turned up dead after traveling to the Philippines to inspect a house he bought from Calucag, increasing the likelihood that Calucag would try to flee if granted bail.

"He (John Elwin) died under suspicious circumstances," said Van Marter. "It would only increase the nature of (Calucag's) flight risk."

The bail hearing was continued until Nov 9.

The FBI here declined to say if the bureau is investigating.

"It is the policy of the bureau to neither confirm nor deny the existence of ongoing investigations, but we would have jurisdiction in a case like this and normally when we have jurisdiction we go ahead and investigate," FBI Special Agent Brandon Simpson said yesterday.

Simpson, who pointed out that the FBI has agents permanently stationed in Manila, said federal statutes prohibiting identity theft, wire fraud, passport fraud and mail fraud would be applicable in a case like Calucag's.

On Oct. 16, the Elwin family reacted to the news that Elwin, a Canadian citizen, was found dead. They had waited in limbo for six months.

"This morning our family received devastating news. Our hearts are sickened and heavy as we grieve the loss of our John. This is such a tragic end to a wonderful and amazing man's life," Chris Elwin, 41, said last week by phone from the family's home on Kaua'i. "He loved Kaua'i, he loved the people, he loved his family and was a good man. We hope that justice will be served and are thankful for the support and prayers from our community."

Dental records provided by Elwin's family and other DNA evidence helped confirm the match. Forensic investigators with the U.S. Navy's Criminal Investigative Service performed tests in the Philippines before officially declaring a match.

The Elwin family was in court yesterday but declined comment.

Elwin has been missing since May, when he flew to the Philippines with Calucag to examine a $200,000 apartment he bought from Calucag. His family filed a missing persons report with Kaua'i police on May 15 after Elwin failed to call his 15-year-old daughter in Texas on her birthday.

Calucag is being held without bail at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center on charges of first-degree identity theft, first-degree theft, and second-degree forgery in connection with the alleged theft of $200,000, a parcel of land, credit cards and a half-dozen polo horses from Elwin.

Elwin transferred $200,000 into Calucag's escrow account before leaving for the Philippines, according to documents filed in O'ahu circuit court.

Elwin's body was found with a single gunshot wound to the head about a month ago in a province several hours outside of Manila.

According to the Luzon Inquirer, a Philippines newspaper, Elwin's body was found along a mountain highway in Carranglan town in May.

Chief Inspector Cresencio de Asis, head of the provincial police crime laboratory, told the newspaper Elwin was identified through dental records provided by the Canadian Embassy. His remains were exhumed Oct. 9 in a cemetery in Carranglan.

De Asis said the body was found in Barangay Capintalan in Carranglan on May 15 and buried by the local funeral parlor when no one claimed it after 90 days.

Elwin's disappearance and the publicity it received prompted several people to come forward with information about Young and Ho, who also disappeared after traveling to the Philippines with Calucag.

Arthur Young went missing in 1989 after agreeing to manufacture and sell helicopter parts with Calucag, according to police and Young's son Michael Young of Honolulu.

"My father called his girlfriend and told her that he was in fear for his life in one of the provinces outside of Manila and that he felt something was not right," Michael Young said this week. "He was with Calucag."

Young and his family searched for their father for seven months, hired a private investigator, but found nothing.

On Aug. 18, Honolulu police detectives, backed by the department's Specialized Services Division, raided the Peter Street home of Debbie Anagaran, Calucag's girlfriend, police said.

Police obtained a search warrant after learning Anagaran's apartment once belonged to Arthur Young.

Fifteen years after Young disappeared and a year before Elwin went missing, Douglas Ho, 58, traveled to the Philippines with Calucag, also to scrutinize business investments, police said. Ho never returned and his family filed a missing persons report in January 2005.

Attempts to reach Ho's family were unsuccessful.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.