West
Hawaii businessman accused of running drug trade, ordering murders as underworld boss
Prosecutors say a prominent Honolulu businessman headed a sprawling criminal conspiracy, funneling drug money through shell businesses and ordering his minions to torture and kill his late son’s best friend in an elaborate plot for revenge.
Jury selection for accused racketeering boss Michael Miske Jr.’s federal trial began on Monday; several co-defendants who struck plea deals for testifying and more than 900 witnesses are expected to take the stand in Hawaii, the Honolulu Civil Beat reported.
Numerous charges have been leveled against the alleged kingpin, including for murder, kidnapping, assault, racketeering, bank fraud, use of a chemical weapon and cocaine distribution. Potential jurors have already raised concerns about the safety of themselves and their families, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat.
The 48-year-old is accused of masterminding a criminal operation, referred to as the “Miske Enterprise” in an indictment, from the late 1990s until his July 2020 arrest in the kidnapping and murder of 21-year-old Jonathan Fraser.
HAWAII MANHUNT FOR FELON OUT ON BAIL ENDS IN FATAL POLICE SHOOTOUT
Michael Miske Jr. faces accusations related to his alleged expansive criminal network around Honolulu – among them are murder charges in the death of Jonathan Fraser, his late son’s best friend. (Honolulu Police Department)
Fraser was best friends with Miske’s late son, Caleb Miske, Bloomberg reported. The pair, who loved cars and racing, were in a high-speed crash together in November 2015 – the accused kingpin’s son succumbed to his injuries. Although a police report indicated that Caleb had been driving, according to the outlet, Miske insisted that Fraser was responsible for the death of his only son.
Miske seemed to be reconsidering his grudge when he moved Fraser and his girlfriend into a home with his late son’s young widow, Bloomberg reported, and provided the 21-year-old with a car to use.
Skyline, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)
But Fraser’s girlfriend reported him missing to the Honolulu Police Department on July 30, 2016. Miske did not keep his grudge against his late son’s best friend a secret, and the man’s name came up instantly when they began to investigate, according to Bloomberg.
From there, Miske’s alleged web of criminal activity came into focus.
Law enforcement would raid Miske’s home in July 2020, but found no evidence that indicated Fraser’s whereabouts.
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The body of Jonathan Fraser, pictured, has never been found. His friends and relatives say that Miske held Fraser responsible for his son’s 2015 car crash death. (FBI handout)
Miske and 10 codefendants were eventually indicted.
Miske had owned contracting, auto and fishing companies since at least the 1990s. Ads for his extermination business, Kama’aina Termite & Pest Control, aired frequently on Oahu. In addition to residential properties, according to the most recent indictment, he also owned the glitzy M nightclub, later renamed “Encore.”
But the pest control offices served as a “headquarters for criminal activity, the laundering of illicit proceeds and the fraudulent ‘employment’ of individuals whose ‘work’ consisted of engaging in acts of violence of fraud on behalf of the Miske Enterprise,” the indictment said.
The men allegedly carried guns and used multiple cellphones, encoded communication apps and in-person meetings to avoid detection for decades.
A view of the skyline of the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu on Dec. 31, 2014. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
One person familiar with his fishing operation noted to Bloomberg that although Miske’s fishing boat made regular trips from Hawaii to California and back, it never seemed to be hauling much fish, speculating that he may be transporting something other than seafood.
In July 2014, according to the indictment, Miske distributed at least 5 kilograms of cocaine. In 2016, Miske and his enterprise allegedly moved at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. The precise quantity of drugs allegedly moved by Miske and his cohorts is uncertain.
The group would also target and rob competing drug operations in the area, according to the indictment, at one point driving one dealer off the road and stealing a Walmart bag filled with $65,000 of meth by tricking the other dealer with a fake badge one crew member obtained from the set of Hawaii Five-0.
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Pictured is the headquarters for Kama’aina Pest Control, one of Miske’s businesses that allegedly served as a headquarters for his criminal enterprise in Honolulu. (Google Maps)
Another dealer was pistol whipped by several of Miske’s underlings in an ambush that led the man to “[go] over to Miske’s house to complain,” Bloomberg reported.
Among the forms of fraud prosecutors accuse Miske and his cohorts of include a cash payroll scheme, fraudulent change orders, phony licensing, fraudulent fumigation practices, bank fraud and even creating false documents, according to the indictment.
In the event of Miske’s arrest, according to the indictment, dozens of false character assessments and other helpful documents were forged and lodged with the man’s attorney to assist his defense.
Miske’s attorney, Lynn E. Panagakos, could not be reached for comment at press time.
Honolulu, Hawaii, is a popular travel destination. (iStock)
Although Miske faces murder charges in Fraser’s disappearance, his body has never been found.
James Borling-Salas, a young man associated with several members of the enterprise, told FBI agents that he’d seen Fraser in his final, excruciating moments: Borling-Salas said he would distribute drugs on Miske’s behalf.
The young informant’s grandmother, a former corrections officer, told the FBI in later interviews that her grandson had admitted to a role in torturing and killing Fraser, recording the events on video.
Borling-Salas denied direct involvement, but told agents that Fraser had been bound to a chair with zip ties and duct tape in an apartment used by the organization. Fraser’s face had been bloodied, the man recalled, and that he witnessed him being kicked repeatedly in the head.
An aerial view from the window of a plane shows Diamond Head crater in Oahu, Hawaii on Feb. 23, 2022. (DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
Two of Miske’s cohorts, including frequently-mentioned Lance Bermudez, allegedly burned the young man’s hands and worked their way up his body, Borling-Salas told agents, while a phone mounted on a tripod recorded the torture.
A few days later, the man told agents, he saw a large bone protruding from a large cooking pot in the apartment’s kitchen. Bermudez was allegedly stirring the pot.
There was no smell, Borling-Salas recalled, and “the water had a shade of orange-red that [Borling-Salas] had never seen while cooking… [and] flesh began to fall away from the bone,” according to an affidavit reviewed by Bloomberg.
The sun sets off of Waikiki Beach on the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Saturday, June 26, 2021 in Honolulu, HI. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Borling-Salas attempted suicide shortly after the interview, Bloomberg reported, and later retracted his story.
Bermudez is among several underlings allegedly employed by Miske in the murder and other criminal activities who have since flipped to testify against him in court. He had a tattoo on his forearm of the contact information of the attorney hired to represent Miske and his crew, according to Bloomberg.
One high-ranking underling allegedly told FBI agents that Miske ordered five hits on other prospective victims that never came to fruition between 2015 and 2016, court documents show.
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Emilie Sangimino started Kalispell Montana Hidden Gems with a simple mission: to help promote the local businesses and places she loved in the Flathead Valley.
Fast forward, and the social media accounts Sangimino started on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have a combined following of more than 113,000. Per analytics, the content she shares to highlight businesses in the area get upward of 1.5 million views per month. She’s expanded beyond her own base of Kalispell, highlighting businesses that are “hidden gems” in Billings, Missoula and Bozeman, with the help of local managers in each area. Hidden Gems has its own website as well, featuring businesses across several sectors like health & wellness; food & drink; places to stay; fun & adventure; shopping; professional services; and events.
And for the businesses she’s worked with, those views have converted to real-life people walking through the doors.
The formula Sangimino uses for promotion looks simple on its face. Most of her content consists of videos showing a beautiful location with white text over them.
“Did you know you can ride a rollercoaster down a mountain and mini golf all in one place in Lakeside, Montana?” a recent post highlighting Flathead Lake Alpine Coaster reads.
“Experience the Cabins at Blacktail for a day!” reads the caption on another.
When you click on a post, a video clip rolls, showcasing the business, property or event the post is meant to highlight. The reels also tag the businesses to direct visitors to their accounts.
“I wanted it to be more of storytelling about these incredible businesses, and I wanted to just really do my best to do the area justice that I felt like it deserved,” Sangimino said.
Julie Darrow, an owner of the Cabins at Blacktail, has worked with Sangimino and Kalispell Montana Hidden Gems for about two years.
Darrow’s business consists of six cabins on a 5-acre property in Lakeside. The property has a natural spring and creek that runs through it, and the cabins serve as hosts for short-term rentals or spaces to host weddings and retreats. Darrow said Sangimino posts reels of her business about once per month.
At first, Sangimino highlighted the full experience at the Cabins at Blacktail, but more recently, Darrow said she’s been helping the business highlight its weekday wellness and staycation options, which allow people to rent out a cabin for the day and create an experience with the plethora of options offered at the Cabins: yoga, massages, Pilates, a sauna and cold plunge.
Darrow said once Sangimino’s reels post, she often gets direct bookings and inquiries from customers.
“The key piece to this is that social media is awesome and incredible, and just because an account has a lot of followers, it does not mean that that’s producing business,” Darrow explained. “It doesn’t mean it’s converting. The incredible thing about what she’s doing is that we’re getting followers from her, but it’s also converting to engagement. We’re getting business.”
Denise Archer, who owns Scout & Gather Mercantile, a local business in Columbia Falls, has worked with Sangimino since fall of 2024, and seconded Darrow’s sentiments.
Archer’s business aims to host “a unique space that brings together shopping and experiences for both locals and visitors.” The mercantile has clothing, gifts and home décor; but the roadside destination also hosts events, has a spot to grab pizza or coffee, and has a mini golf course.
Archer explained when her family was first establishing the business, it was difficult to raise awareness, particularly outside of tourist seasons. She credited Sangimino and her work posting reels, stories, video content and working with the business on social media promotion with elevating the business’s visibility and helping attract people there, particularly during the off-season.
“We’ve seen noticeable growth in our social media following and engagement since working with her,” Archer wrote in an email. “Anecdotally, we’ve had many customers mention that they discovered us through Hidden Gems of Kalispell, which has been especially valuable.”
Sangimino said it’s common that consumers will use her account to plan their own trips to the Flathead — and elsewhere in the state.
For her, partnering and promoting local businesses serves as a meaningful effort.
“I can’t really emphasize how positive this business has been in my life personally,” Sangimino said. “It’s given me the opportunity, of course, to discover things that I wouldn’t have without this, but it’s also connected me with people and places in this area and just made me love it even more.”
She continued: “There is a zest to business and to experiences here that I didn’t even realize until I stepped foot into some of these places or connected with these incredible local business owners. And you know, I really look at it as a privilege to be given the opportunity to have a very small piece in the success of all the businesses here.”
And for the business owners, like Archer, being considered “hidden gems” has served as a boon for the businesses they run.
“Being considered a ‘Hidden Gem’ highlights the uniqueness of what we offer and helps position us as a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists looking for something special,” Archer said.
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Press Release – July 4, 2026
Acres: 6,782
Start Date: June 21, 2026
Location: 15 miles east of Glenwood, NM
Personnel: 148
Containment: 0%
Cause: Lightning
Summary: Yesterday, 114 additional resources arrived on the Sacaton Fire. The fire continued to grow in the headwaters of Willow Creek, flanking through heavy fuel loading and standing dead trees from the 2012 Whitewater Baldy Fire. Fire spread to the north is slowing as it enters the recent Hummingbird and Turkey Feather fire footprints.
Unfortunately, Apache Cabin, a historic Forest Service cabin located in the Gila Wilderness, was lost in the fire. The cabin’s location mid-slope and intense fire behavior did not allow for safe engagement for firefighters. The preservation of life and firefighter safety remain the highest priority.
Today, firefighters will focus on implementing structure protection measures—including the deployment of water pumps and hose lays—around the Willow Creek Subdivision. Crews will also evaluate whether conditions warrant the use of defensive firing operations west of Willow Creek to protect private property.
Weather: Today, highs will be around 80 degrees F. Winds will blow 10 – 15 m.p.h. and gust to 25 m.p.h.
Closures: A forest area closure is in effect. Ensure you have the most current order by checking the forest’s alerts webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts. Bursum Road/NM-159 is currently closed east of Mogollon to Willow Creek.
Evacuations: Catron County Sheriff’s Office is implementing the Ready, Set, Go! method. The community of Willow Creek is in a GO! evacuation status due to the proximity of the Sacaton Fire. Residents in GO should leave immediately. For more information evacuation statuses, monitor Catron County Emergency Management on FaceboSacatok and sign up for Catron County emergency notifications at catroncounty.us.
Smoke: Smoke is visible from surrounding communities. Air quality will vary based on fire activity, weather, and wind patterns. Residents should reduce prolonged outdoor activity when smoke is present and check the Air Quality Index before recreating or working outdoors. Sensitive groups should take extra precautions to limit smoke exposure. For real-time smoke conditions, visit fire.airnow.gov.
Fire Restrictions: The Gila National Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions due to long term severe drought in the Gila region, increased tree mortality across the forest, and forecasted hotter, drier weather conditions. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions limit campfires on forest land to designated recreation sites and campgrounds with constructed metal fire rings. Open burning is also prohibited in the unincorporated area of Catron County and in Catron County Fire District 30.
Public Information Officer: 2026.sacaton@firenet.gov, 575-210-8631
Incident Information:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GilaNForest
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