In a sweeping civil money laundering crackdown, federal authorities have moved to seize a luxury oceanfront estate at 6 Lumahai Street in Portlock, Hawaii, along with a bizarrely specific collection of assets tied to suspected illicit finance. The U.S. government alleges the property—a high-value real estate holding in one of Oahu’s most exclusive enclaves—was purchased and maintained with funds derived from criminal activity, triggering a forfeiture action in the District Court, D. Hawaii.
The target of the case, Seung-Ji Robert Lee, is named in court filings alongside a litany of inanimate co-defendants: 1951, 1957, and 1956 Volkswagen vehicles; a 2017 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta; a 1970 Ford Bronco; and a 1961 Volkswagen Van. Also named are $1,063,427.35, $676,785.56, and $611,123.60 in seized funds, along with cashier’s checks and multiple bank accounts held at Bank of Hawaii and Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union. The assets are alleged to constitute proceeds of unlawful activity, though no criminal charges against Lee have been filed.
Adding a surreal edge to the docket, federal prosecutors also named high-value artworks seized in the probe: Painting Entitled Sangre Oscura by RETNA, Speaking in Tongues by Alex Defer Kizu, and Spiritual Language, also by Kizu. Two sculptures by OG Slick—Slick Skull and Uzi Does It—are listed as instrumentalities of the alleged financial crime. Even a 37.5-foot Boston Whaler pleasure craft named Painkiller and a Hawaii Longline Limited Entry Permit for the fishing vessel Rachel were dragged into the legal crosshairs.
Court documents show that over $2 million in liquid assets were seized from financial institutions across the state, including $300,372.85, $206,725.80, $22,710.48, and $81,656.56 in funds pulled from various accounts. Proceeds from the sale of real property at 559 Kumukahi Place in Hawaii Kai—totaling $611,123.60—and $676,785.56 from the sale of the Rachel tuna longliner are explicitly cited as tainted funds funneled into the Portlock estate.
The government’s case hinges on civil asset forfeiture laws, which allow prosecutors to target property allegedly involved in money laundering without requiring a criminal conviction. The Michael J. Miske, Jr. Revocable Living Trust is listed among the parties, suggesting complex financial layering. Minors, including N.M., a minor, are also referenced, raising unanswered questions about familial involvement and asset shielding.
With the Real Property Located at 6 Lumahai Street at the center of the storm, federal authorities are pushing to strip ownership from those connected to the funds and artifacts now frozen in litigation. The case unfolds amid growing scrutiny of offshore-style financial maneuvers in Hawaii’s luxury real estate market, where anonymous trusts and high-end collectibles may serve as quiet conduits for dirty money. The court has yet to rule on the forfeiture petition.
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Key Facts
- State: Hawaii
- Agency: U.S. Federal Court
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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