HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaii Island police arrested and charged 32-year-old William Kaipo Jr., a resident of Hilo, with a string of offenses, including forgery and theft.
The incident unfolded on May 13, around 3:47 p.m., when a staff member of a local business on the in Hilo alerted authorities about a man trying to buy goods with a fake $100 bill.
Responding officers spoke with the employee who identified Kaipo Jr. as the individual attempting to pass off the counterfeit money. Kaipo Jr. was still in the vehicle he arrived in. Upon confrontation, he was arrested for forgery and was found to have an outstanding warrant for a similar offense involving another counterfeit $100 bill at a different establishment.
Kaipo Jr. was taken to the East Hawaii Detention Center for processing, while his vehicle was impounded pending a search warrant.
On May 14, detectives searched Kaipo Jr.’s vehicle and uncovered:
Counterfeit $100 bills
Multiple real $1 bills
Various “washed” bills of different denominations
Instructions for producing counterfeit currency and laundering money
A color printer
An ultraviolet counterfeit detection device and detection pens
Following consultation with the Hawaii County Prosecutor’s Office, Kaipo Jr. was charged with:
Four counts of first-degree theft
One count of fourth-degree theft
His bail was set at $35,000.00. Kaipo Jr. appeared in court for the first time on May 15, at South Hilo District Court.
The investigation uncovered Kaipo Jr.’s involvement in distributing and using counterfeit currency within the community. The public is urged to stay vigilant, as there may still be fake bills in circulation.