Former Kamaka Hawaiʻi ʻUkulele business manager Frederick K. Kamaka, Jr. has been sentenced after pleading guilty to six counts of Willful Failure to File Returns. A plea deal necessitates Kamaka to cough up $20,000, to log 100 hours of community service, and to be supervised by the court for a year, as reported by the official news release from the Office of the Governor - Hawaii.
The misdemeanor charges came about after Kamaka failed, for six consecutive years, to properly file and remit general excise taxes for the renowned ʻukulele company. His dereliction of duty led to over $115,000 in unpaid taxes. Under the shadow of the court, Kamaka is now compelled to make the initial payment towards the owed taxes, as the plea agreement outlines.
Judge Erika Ireland granted Kamaka a deferred plea despite the State's objections to such leniency. The company itself, Kamaka Hawaiʻi, Inc., managed to sidestep further criminal proceedings by paying the full amount of back taxes. However, there are still civil penalties and interest that the company must address, as per the release from the Governor's office.
Post-sentencing, the criminal case against Kamaka Hawaiʻi, Inc. was dismissed by the State following their prompt payment of the overdue taxes. This closure to the company's legal woes, however, does not exempt them from the additional financial burdens they are obligated to finally settle. The investigation by the Hawaiʻi Department of Taxation's Criminal Investigation Section, along with the prosecution led by Deputy Attorney General David Williams, has brought the tax evasion issue to a clear, albeit costly, resolution.
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