Katherine Kealoha Released Early From Federal Prison, Still Owes $500,000 in Restitution
Former Honolulu prosecutor Katherine Kealoha is getting out of federal prison early, which is bad news for the family she and her husband were convicted of stealing from and framing.
- Kealoha will move to a halfway house in the Bay Area soon, then later be allowed to serve home confinement in Hawaii or Colorado.
- She's getting out years ahead of her original sentence because of standard credits for good behavior and time already served, rules that apply to every federal prisoner.
- She and her husband, former police chief Louis Kealoha, were convicted in 2019 for stealing from her grandmother and framing her uncle for a crime he didn't commit.
- Both still owe $500,000 each in restitution to the family, and Louis, who was released last year, hasn't paid any of it.
- The victims' attorney is trying to track down the couple's assets to force payment, but has little confidence they'll take responsibility or pay up.
Outlook: Expect a legal fight over Kealoha's assets once she's released, with the family's attorney pushing to recover restitution she and her husband still haven't paid.