HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
WEST HAWAII CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SECTION
DETECTIVE NANCY HAITSUKA
PHONE: 326-4227
FEBRUARY 1, 2004

MEDIA RELEASE

A 32-year-old Kona man was arrested Friday (January 30, 2004) for forgery after allegedly trying to withdraw money from another individual’s account at a bank branch in the Lanihau Shopping Center.

The suspect, identified as Omar A. Cordeiro, of Kailua-Kona, was also arrested for a variety of drug offenses after a search of his vehicle.

Cordeiro was charged with nine counts of forgery, eight counts of second-degree theft, one count of attempted second-degree theft, eight counts of identity theft, one count of promotion of a dangerous drug, one count of promotion of a harmful drug and two counts of illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

The suspect is being held in the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $40,050 bail.

Cordeiro was arrested Friday after a bank teller alerted Kona patrol officers that a man was trying to withdraw money from an 82-year-old Hilo man’s savings account with a forged signature.

An investigation by West Hawaii Criminal Investigation Section detectives determined that Cordeiro had withdrawn from the man’s account about $7,000 on Monday through Thursday (January 26-29, 2004).

CIS detectives, aided by West Hawaii Ice Task Force officers, searched the man’s car and a bank book left at the bank branch. They recovered 1.4 grams of a crystalline substance, 2.3 grams of a dark liquid suspected to be hash oil, a glass smoking pipe with residue and $1,300 in cash.

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