KEALAKEKUA— A Captain Cook man charged in two indictments for theft who allegedly tried to escape from jail during the court cases has pleaded no contest to most of the charges.
Douglas Daniel “Oni” Kaimiola, 31, was one of six men police said were involved in a crime spree from South Kohala to Ka’u between Oct. 7, 2014, and Jan. 18, 2015.
Kaimiola pleaded no contest to first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft, two counts of second-degree burglary, three counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle and first-degree entry into a motor vehicle. Sentencing is set for July 11.
Kaimiola entered the no contest plea April 18 shortly after a jury trial had commenced. He had previously rejected, on March 29, a written plea offer from prosecutors where he would plead guilty to one count of a B-class felony and nine counts of C-class felonies. Additionally, the state would not have charged additional nonhomicide and nonsexual assault charges that were not included in the indictment.
That would put a cap of 15 years in prison, with a concurrent 15 years for the possible plea to the escape charge. The consecutive total of all charges, not including the Hilo case, was 127 years, according to Hilo-based attorney M. Kalani Laubach, who replaced Kaimiola’s original attorney James Biven. Kaimiola said Biven was not providing adequate representation.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kauanoe Jackson made the state’s opening statement and began the testimony of one witness on April 18. A break was then called and Kaimiola subsequently entered the no contest plea.
Kaimiola was indicted in the first case on 27 counts on Feb. 11, with three counts of first-degree theft, one count of ownership or possession of a firearm prohibited, three counts of second degree burglary, five counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, one count of third-degree criminal property damage, three counts of second-degree theft, one count of attempted second degree burglary, four counts of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, two counts of theft of a credit card, three counts of unauthorized possession of confidential personal information and one count of third-degree theft.
The second indictment largely mirrored the first. The charges allege he had one of 15 stolen handguns, stole two vehicles from a taxi company, took a backpack from a man containing a camera, a Bible and a wallet, among other events.
The charges stem from police receiving a report that two men, later identified as Kaimiola and Stephen Graham, broke into a limousine and taxi rental service Hulikoa Street in Kailua-Kona around 2:30 a.m. Dec. 26, 2014. They stole keys to three taxi vans, along with a cellular telephone, office equipment and cash. One taxi was damaged and two were stolen from the property.
Kaimiola allegedly tried to sell the weapon, a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, to one of the other men involved in the spree. It was wrapped in a yellow cloth and placed in in a first-aid kit box, Detective Walter Ah Mow testified to the grand jury that lead to the indictment. “… It was hidden in the bush near the highway, just north of the (West Hawaii) Civic Center,” Ah Mow said.
The theft of the firearms resulted in an intensive investigation that included assistance from federal law enforcement.
The case slowed after Kaimiola and three other men allegedly tried to escape Hawaii Community Correctional Center by knocking down the door of their housing unit with a piece of furniture at 2:30 a.m. April 25, 2015. All were charged with second-degree escape and second-degree criminal property damage.
He is scheduled for a hearing in that case on May 4.
Kaimiola was previously arrested in 2006 for driving a stolen vehicle and charged with a total of 11 counts. He pleaded guilty to two counts of abuse of a family member, unauthorized control of a motor vehicle, first-degree terroristic threatening and ownership of a firearm prohibited. He was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Strance to up to 10 years in prison, with a minimum of one year and eight months.