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Al Hee sentenced to prison on tax charges

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Albert Hee headed into Federal court this morning,

Telecommunications entrepreneur Albert Hee was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison today for tax charges, with Federal Judge Susan Oki Mollway recommending that Hee serve his sentence at a medical facility in Minnesota because of his severe allergies and heart condition.

Mollway ordered that Hee surrender to federal authorities to begin his term on April 4, but acknowledged that Hee’s lawyers are planning an appeal.

Prosecutors say Hee siphoned about $4 million from his company Waimana Enterprises to cover “false” salaries to family members, college tuition for his children, family vacations, massages and dozens of other personal expenses.

Hee directed accountants and company employees to classify many of the personal expenses as business deductions or part of a shareholder loan that was never intended to be repaid, according to prosecutors.

Hee was convicted in July on six counts of filing false income tax returns and one count of corruptly impeding the IRS from correctly calculating and collecting his taxes.

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