HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – After a bitter, decade-long legal and political battle, the Hawaii distributor of sweepstakes gaming machines is suing the HPD for damaging his equipment.
The lawsuit alleges that when Honolulu police seized PJY Enteprises LLC’s 77 sweepstakes machines in 2012, the machines were new and in working condition.
But a recent examination found that 62 of the machines are now damaged and unusable, the suit said.
The company’s lawyer estimated the loss at about $162,000.
“It looks like they had damage from the movement being moved. A lot of the machines that were damaged were termite-ridden,” said Keith Kiuchi, attorney for PJY.
“We could see the termite droppings on the machines and they infested the cabinet. So they weren’t usable.”
While the suit details the alleged damage to the machines, the city’s liability could be more extensive.
Police seized another 150 machines from other operators ― valued at around $400,000 ― but the machines are nowhere to be found.
“They destroyed (them). I mean, I’d like to see what the statutory authority was given ― especially since this case was on appeal,” Kiuchi said.
That appeal was decided in December when the Hawaii Supreme Court ordered police to return the machines.
That came after criminal cases brought by then-Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro against PJY and owner Tracy Yoshimura were thrown out twice for prosecutorial misconduct due to tainted evidence and testimony.
The HPD had no immediate comment on the lawsuit.
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