HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
Billy Kenoi
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Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi is expected to make his first appearance in Circuit Court in Hilo today to answer to criminal theft charges over misuse of his county purchasing card.
The 47-year-old mayor turned himself in and was arrested at
11 a.m. Tuesday at the Pahoa police station in Puna, a police spokeswoman said.
A bench warrant had been issued for Kenoi’s arrest after a Hilo grand jury indicted him Wednesday on eight criminal charges, including two felony theft charges.
No bail was set, and he was released on his own recognizance as noted in the bench warrant.
Kenoi is accused of misusing his county-issued purchasing card and for making three false entries in pCard transaction summaries, which are government records.
The mayor faces charges on two counts of second-degree theft, a Class C felony; two counts of third-degree theft, misdemeanors; three counts of tampering with a government record, misdemeanors; and one count of false swearing (making a false statement under oath), a petty misdemeanor.
The charges are connected to purchases from 2011 to 2015.
Kenoi has acknowledged making unauthorized purchases on his pCard since he took office in 2009 until 2015, racking up more than $129,000 in purchases, some of which were for personal purposes, including trips to Honolulu hostess bars and for lavish dining and travel. He said he has since reimbursed the county at least $31,000 for all personal charges.