Hawaii crime boss dies of overdose in federal custody: medical examiner

Prominent Hawaiian businessman who was at the head of a comprehensive criminal conspiracy, funneling drug money through bogus businesses and ordering torture and death his late son’s best friend, died in federal custody of an opioid overdose, the Honolulu medical examiner said Tuesday.

Michael Miske, 50, died of “fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl toxicity,” the medical examiner’s office said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. The death appears to be an accident, but the case is still under investigation, the news agency added, and the autopsy report is likely to take at least another 30 days.

Miske was found unresponsive at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu on Dec. 1. Efforts by staff and emergency medical services failed to save him, the Bureau of Prisons said, AP reports.

The Hawaiian crime boss was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder and 11 other criminal acts on July 18, according to the statement of the Ministry of Justice dated July 24. Although his sentencing was originally scheduled for November of this year, the AP reports that it was scheduled to take place on January 30.

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Michael Miske Jr. was convicted on July 18 of racketeering conspiracy, murder and 11 other crimes. (Honolulu Police)

It is unclear how the mastermind of the “Miske Enterprise” from the late 1990s until his arrest in July 2020 in the kidnapping and murder of 21-year-old Jonathan Fraser came into possession of fentanyl or para-fluorofentanyl, a synthetic opioid that appears in illicit drugs and is more powerful than fentanyl.

Fraser was best friends with Miske’s late son, Caleb Miske, Bloomberg reported. The couple, who loved cars and racing, were involved in a high-speed accident together in November 2015 – Caleb Miske succumbed to his injuries. Although the police report indicated that Caleb was driving, Miske insisted that Fraser was responsible for the death of his only son.

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The body of Jonathan Fraser, pictured, has never been found. His friends and relatives say Miske held Fraser responsible for his son’s death in a 2015 car accident. (FBI brochure)

Pictured is the headquarters of Kama’aina Pest Control, one of Miske’s companies that served as the headquarters of his criminal enterprise in Honolulu. (Google maps)

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Miske’s conviction gave the government the right to take control of assets worth up to $28 million, including boats, homes and art.

The federal Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Christina Coulter of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.