Hawai‘i Island police arrested and charged three individuals with various financial crimes stemming from mail theft that occurred earlier this year.
In February 2024, a Hilo financial institution was alerted to nine drafted personal checks belonging to a member’s checking account that were suspicious in nature. The victim reported that she had ordered a book of new checks to be delivered to her residential mailbox, but never received them. The victim reported that her mailbox door was observed to have been left open on several occasions in the month of January, and believed her checks were stolen.
Three individuals were later identified depositing the victim’s stolen and forged checks into their own accounts. A total of $11,000 was transferred out of the victim’s account from the stolen checks. Police obtained arrest warrants for the three suspects who were all later located, arrested and charged. The suspects have been identified as the following:
25 year-old Joseph K. Medeiros-Alidon of Hilo was arrested and charged for the following offenses. His bail was set at $42,000.
- Six counts of second-degree Theft
- Six counts of second-degree Identity Theft
- Seven counts second-degree Forgery
- One count of Unauthorized Possession of Personal Confidential Information
- One count third-degree Theft
- One count third-degree Identity Theft
48 year old January R. Andres of Hilo, was arrested and charged for the following offenses. His bail was set at $8,000.
- One count of second-degree Theft
- One count of second-degree Identity Theft
- One count of third-degree Forgery
- One count of Unauthorized Possession of Personal Confidential Information
49 year-old Frances A. Matias of Hilo, was arrested and charged for the following offenses. His bail was set at $7,000.
- One count of third-degree Theft
- One count of third-degree Identity Theft
- One count of second-degree Forgery
- One count of Unauthorized Possession of Personal Confidential Information
Anyone with information relative to this investigation is encouraged to call the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.
HPD Photo