Kenoi’s Record Tampering Charges Dismissed

Hawaiʻi Island Mayor Billy Kenoi. File photo courtesy County of Maui Office of Council Services.

State circuit court judge Dexter D. Del Rosario dismissed three of eight counts against Hawai‘i County Mayor William P. Kenoi today.

His decision was based upon insufficient evidence after the State of Hawai‘i rested its case.

The three counts were for tampering with a government record; each was a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

On March 23, 2016, a Hawai‘i Island grand jury indicted Mayor Kenoi for two counts of felony theft, two additional counts of misdemeanor theft, and one count of false swearing, in addition to the three counts dismissed today.

The charges arose from alleged conduct taking place from 2011 through 2015.

Mayor Kenoi is presumed innocent of the remaining five counts unless and until a trial jury finds him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Closing arguments and the conclusion of the trial are expected on Oct. 31.