Hawaii crime boss Michael Miske dies in prison

Michael Miske, a Hawaii crime boss, has died in prison, authorities announced on Monday.

What We Know

Miske, 50, was discovered unresponsive on Sunday at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, according to a news release from the Bureau of Prisons. Despite efforts by staff and emergency medical responders, he could not be revived. The cause of his death remains unknown.

Attorneys representing Miske did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Monday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson confirmed to the online media outlet Honolulu Civil Beat that Miske had died in custody on Monday but declined to provide any further information or comment.

Who Is Miske?

In July, Miske was convicted of 13 charges including conspiracy, racketeering, murder in the aid of racketeering and kidnapping resulting in death.

Miske’s conviction was in connection to the kidnapping of a 72-year-old accountant that owed a debt to the Hawaii crime boss. Additionally, Miske was alleged to be involved in other crimes such as the murder of his deceased son’s friend and the release of chemicals in a nightclub owned by one of his rivals.

“According to the evidence presented at trial, during at least the late 1990s and through June 2020, Miske and other codefendants conspired to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through a pattern of racketeering activity. The racketeering activity included acts involving murder, kidnapping, and robbery,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Hawaii said in a press release in July.

The press release from July added, “It also included acts relating to murder-for-hire, chemical weapons, interference with commerce through robbery and extortion, wire fraud, fraud in connection with identification documents, financial institution fraud, the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, and obstruction of justice.

“In or about March 2017, Miske and others conspired to release a chemical weapon, namely, chloropicrin, into nightclubs in Honolulu, Hawaii. As part of this conspiracy, chloropicrin was released into two different nightclubs. Miske was also convicted of obstructing justice for the submission of false character letters to the court in support of Miske’s request for pretrial release while this case was pending.”

Miske’s conviction allowed the government to seize $28 million of his assets, which included boats, homes and artwork.

Prior to his death this week, Miske was set to appear before a judge for his sentencing on January 30.

Miske was previously being held in the Federal Detention Center located in Honolulu, Hawaii, following his arrest on July 15, 2020 by federal agents.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.

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