Kristen Keiki O Akua Krael was arrested in Honolulu after an Oʻahu Grand Jury indicted her on multiple felony charges, including computer fraud, theft, forgery, and fraudulent use of a credit card. The indictment was issued on February 24, 2026.
Krael faces three counts of Computer Fraud in the First Degree, three counts of Theft in the First Degree, one count of Theft in the Second Degree, 15 counts of Forgery in the Second Degree, and three counts of Fraudulent Use of Credit Card. According to the indictment, Krael worked as an accountant for three local businesses and allegedly used their financial information without permission to forge checks and transfer funds from company credit cards to herself using online tools. She is also accused of providing forged checks to Aaron Kau, Jaron Hung, Jessica Rothstein, and others for cashing purposes. The losses to the businesses are reported to exceed $200,000.
The legal penalties for these offenses vary: Computer Fraud in the First Degree is a class A felony with a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine not exceeding $50,000; Theft in the First Degree is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment or a $25,000 fine; while Theft in the Second Degree, Forgery in the Second Degree, and Fraudulent Use of Credit Card are class C felonies carrying up to five years imprisonment or a $10,000 fine.
Attorney General Anne Lopez commented on the case: “When someone entrusted with access to sensitive financial information exploits that access for personal gain, it harms businesses, employees and our broader community. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute complex financial crimes.”
The investigation involved the Department of the Attorney General’s Investigations Division along with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department. Additional support during Krael’s arrest came from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The case—State v. Kristen Keiki O Akua Krael et al., number 1CPC-26-0000261—is being prosecuted by the Criminal Justice Division within Hawaii’s Department of the Attorney General.
Hawaii’s state government continues its focus on social recovery efforts such as supporting communities affected by wildfires and honoring veterans and educators (official website). The Governor’s office also addresses public policy areas like expanding healthcare access through housing programs aimed at reducing homelessness (official website), advancing renewable energy initiatives (official website), tax reforms for affordability (official website), and collaboration across regions impacted by disasters like Lahaina (official website).
