HONOLULU (Eagle News) – Four Belgian citizens, who took up residence in Waikiki last year, were arraigned this week at the U.S. District Court of Hawaii on charges of wire fraud by engaging victims in an investment scheme and obtaining more than $300,000 in the process.

Defendants Latifa Zanki Dhaene, age 47; Tim Dhaene, age 37; Sofyane Abid Dhaene, age 22; and Haitem Taylor Abid Dhaene, age 19, pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial on May 8, 2023.

According to the indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Honolulu Field Office, the family of four arrived in Los Angeles, California in January 2022 on Belgian passports before moving to Hawaii around the following September.

The indictment alleged that, between October 2022 and February 2023, they solicited multiple persons in Hawaii to invest their money, based on false promises that the money would be placed in high-return investment contracts supposedly guaranteed by a mainland wealth management firm.

The indictment further alleged that the defendants falsely claimed to have formed a private equity investment group; that they provided an investment contract promising a return of 315% per annum; and that the contract bore the name and forged signature of a mainland wealth advisor. As a result of these promises, various individuals gave the four individuals approximately $309,000, including $294,000 withdrawn from an individual’s 401k retirement account.

“This alleged fraud is an unconscionable display of greed and manipulation,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “The FBI is committed to bringing to justice those who perpetrate these outrageous scams.”

According to U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors, these charges are the result of close collaboration between federal and state law enforcement authorities, particularly the Special Investigation and Prosecution Division (SIPD) of the Hawaii State Department of the Attorney General.

“Our office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who commit a wide variety of frauds in Hawaii,” stated U.S. Attorney Connors. “Here, we are pleased to work closely with SIPD, and believe this partnership substantially increases law enforcement’s ability to protect our community.”

Each defendant is charged with three counts of wire fraud, and each count can carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison as well as a fine of up to $1 million.

(Alfred Acenas, Hawaii-Pacific Bureau, Eagle News Service)