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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, August 26, 2005

Wanted man returned to Honolulu

Advertiser News Services

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MANILA, Philippines — A former Salt Lake resident wanted by the federal court in Hawai'i has been deported by the Philippines' immigration bureau.

Michael Van Hohenstein, 50, allegedly violated the terms of his supervised release related to a conviction in 2000 for money laundering and other offenses. Van Hohenstein was sentenced in April 2000 to 48 months in a federal prison for selling illegal TV cable boxes and for related income tax and money laundering violations. He pleaded guilty in June 1999 to 63 counts of conspiracy to sell illegal cable boxes, money laundering and tax evasion.

He was put on a commercial flight Monday to Honolulu, Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez said in a statement.

Fernandez said immigration agents arrested Hohenstein Aug. 12 at his house in Nagcarlan town, 43 miles southeast of Manila, at the request of the U.S. Embassy, which advised that he has an outstanding arrest warrant issued by the federal District Court of Honolulu.

Van Hohenstein was accused of obtaining more than $1.3 million from the sale of illegal descrambling boxes from February 1995 to July 1997. Then U.S. Attorney Steven Alm said Van Hohenstein advertised his illegal devices in local and national publications.