Honolulu Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement from Big Island Branch Bank

HONOLULU—Lani Ann Miho, age 52, pled guilty today before United States District Judge J. Michael Seabright to the charge of bank embezzlement. She faces a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 when she is sentenced by Judge Seabright on June 4, 2012.

Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to information produced in court documents, Miho, an employee for 29 years with First Hawaiian Bank, acted as a branch manager and a personal banking officer on the Islands of Oahu and Hawaii, between July 2000 and September 2010 when she created approximately 56 accounts in various names, withdrawing money and using the proceeds from recently opened accounts to pay balances due on earlier accounts. Miho used her position within the bank to keep track of the accounts and pay them before they became delinquent. She converted the embezzled money to her own use.

According to the court documents, Miho obtained money from the fraudulent accounts, which including fees and interest, totaled approximately $2,683,494.13. During the course of her embezzlement Miho repaid approximately $2,074,044.69, leaving a net loss to First Hawaiian Bank of approximately $609,449.60.

The criminal case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Johnson.