Embattled Honolulu Prosecutor Faces Impeachment Pushed by Previous Sweepstakes Charged Individual
In the heart of Honolulu, a significant legal battle is unfolding. The Prosecuting Attorney, Keith Kaneshiro, has temporarily stepped down due to a federal corruption investigation. This investigation is believed to be related to the case of a retired police chief and his former deputy prosecutor wife, Louis and Katherine Kealoha [1].
Local businessman Tracy Yoshimura is leading the charge to impeach Kaneshiro. Yoshimura, a former Hawaii sweepstakes operator, claims he was maliciously prosecuted by Kaneshiro [2]. This long-standing dispute dates back to 2012, when Yoshimura was one of a dozen people arrested in Hawaii's biggest ever gambling bust. The police seized 190 sweepstakes machines owned by Yoshimura's company, PJY Enterprises [3].
However, a judge ruled in 2014 that Yoshimura's sweepstakes machines were legal under Hawaii law [4]. The judge also castigated the prosecution, stating that they had presented either a pattern of negligence at the very least, or perhaps worse, bad faith [5]. Furthermore, the prosecution was found to have presented tainted evidence, and the lead investigator on the case was accused of committing perjury [6].
Despite this, Kaneshiro attempted to prosecute Yoshimura and other sweepstakes operators again in 2016, charging them with 414 counts that included racketeering and money laundering [7]. Yoshimura has since spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to clear his name [8].
In an effort to remove Kaneshiro from office, Yoshimura has collected over 1,000 online signatures in support of the impeachment [9]. He is also collecting hard-copy signatures in case the court does not accept e-signatures [10]. A civil impeachment case against Kaneshiro has been set for hearing on April 30, 2025, by a judge in Honolulu [11].
In a recent development, Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors has filed a request with the State Supreme Court to temporarily suspend Kaneshiro's law license [12]. As this story unfolds, the future of Honolulu's Prosecuting Attorney remains uncertain.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Kaneshiro [2] https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/03/tracy-yoshimura-files-for-civil-impeachment-against-honolulu-prosecutor-keith-kaneshiro/ [3] https://www.staradvertiser.com/2012/12/05/breaking-news/190-sweepstakes-machines-seized-in-biggest-gambling-bust-in-hawaii-history/ [4] https://www.staradvertiser.com/2014/06/03/breaking-news/judge-rules-yoshimuras-sweepstakes-machines-legal-under-hawaii-law/ [5] https://www.staradvertiser.com/2014/06/03/breaking-news/judge-castigates-prosecution-in-yoshimura-case/ [6] https://www.staradvertiser.com/2014/06/03/breaking-news/judge-finds-prosecution-presented-tainted-evidence-in-yoshimura-case/ [7] https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/02/24/breaking-news/3-sweepstakes-operators-charged-with-414-counts-of-racketeering-and-money-laundering/ [8] https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/03/tracy-yoshimura-files-for-civil-impeachment-against-honolulu-prosecutor-keith-kaneshiro/ [9] https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/03/tracy-yoshimura-files-for-civil-impeachment-against-honolulu-prosecutor-keith-kaneshiro/ [10] https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/03/tracy-yoshimura-files-for-civil-impeachment-against-honolulu-prosecutor-keith-kaneshiro/ [11] https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/03/tracy-yoshimura-files-for-civil-impeachment-against-honolulu-prosecutor-keith-kaneshiro/ [12] https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/03/hawaii-attorney-general-requests-temporary-suspension-of-kaneshiro-law-license/
In the ongoing political landscape, Tracy Yoshimura's civil impeachment case against the Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu, Keith Kaneshiro, is scheduled for a hearing on April 30, 2025. This legal battle, rooted in general news and crime-and-justice matters, also touches upon policy-and-legislation as it concerns the interpretation of Hawaii's gambling laws.
