3 Men Arrested on Alleged Extortion of Waikiki Bar

By Wendy Osher

Criminal Complaint.

Three Honolulu men were arrested this morning for allegedly conspiring to interfere with commerce by extortion.

The criminal complaint alleges that the defendants conspired to obtain money from the owners and operators of The Shack Waikiki, as well as promoters of events at the establishment through various threats and acts of violence.  The alleged incidents date back to as early as 2010.

Among those charged were Honolulu residents Tory Winward, 44, Curtis Swanson, 44, and Jesse Yoshino, 30.

The criminal complaint was unsealed in United States District Court today and is a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD).

All three men were arrested this morning without incident. They made initial court appearances today and will be detained at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center until their hearings at the following times:

• Swanson: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 2:15 p.m. before Judge Richard L. Puglisi
• Winward: Thursday, September 1, 2011 at 10:45 a.m. before Judge Kevin S.C. Chang
• Yoshido: Friday, September 2, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Kevin S.C. Chang

If indicted and convicted of the charge, each defendant faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.