Detective Jenny Lee Honored with Haweo Award for Tenacity in Complex Financial Criminal Investigations

For her exceptional tenacity conducting multiple complex financial crimes, Detective Jenny Lee received the Haweo Award during a ceremony held at Hawai‘i County Council chambers in Hilo on August 6, 2025.

A 20-year veteran of Hawai‘i Police Department, Detective Lee has served in the Area I Juvenile Aid Section (JAS) since 2022. During this time, she has also supported the Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) in handling financial crime cases involving felonious theft, identity theft, unauthorized use of personal information, and computer-related offenses. In a short period, she completed more than a dozen complex financial crime cases, many of which were forwarded to the Hawai‘i County Prosecutor’s Office or closed with arrests and charges.

In late 2024, while temporarily assigned to CIS, Lee investigated two identity theft cases and ultimately identified a suspect. In January 2025, she was assigned a third case involving the same suspect. Detective Lee’s investigative work revealed multiple victims, some elderly or otherwise vulnerable, including one who had previously been the victim of a violent crime. Her compassionate approach earned the victim’s trust and cooperation, allowing her to build a stronger case.

Determined to prevent further offenses, Detective Lee obtained an arrest warrant listing 24 offenses from the initial two cases. After consulting with the Hawai‘i County Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect was charged, and bail was set at over $115,000. When the suspect was later granted supervised release, she remained undeterred and continued pursuing leads in the third case.

Over the next six months, she authored eight affidavits and 23 search warrants. She combed through volumes of financial records, video surveillance, and data, identifying key evidence linking the suspect to ongoing criminal activity. Her investigation revealed that the suspect may have burglarized the victim’s home and manipulated the house phone to maintain unauthorized access to financial accounts, an unusual method that even the utility company had difficulty explaining.

Detective Lee not only identified and resolved the technical exploitation, but also coordinated a site inspection and acted swiftly to shut down the suspect’s access. She identified and arrested two accomplices through additional warrants. Interviews with these individuals yielded further evidence strengthening the case against the primary suspect.

Five months in, Detective Lee secured another warrant listing 45 additional charges. She prepared all necessary documentation in advance, anticipating the complexities of the arrest process. The suspect was taken into custody and remains jailed with bail exceeding $200,000.

After the arrest, she continued working the case, obtaining search warrants for electronic devices, identifying additional victims, and initiating a vehicle forfeiture. She independently contacted all related parties and served legal documentation to complete the process. Due to the massive volume of digital evidence, she coordinated with the department’s IT team to acquire a high-capacity computer system, now in use across the Criminal Investigations Division.

In addition to this major investigation, Detective Lee continued managing active JAS cases and her other financial crime assignments, resulting in three additional arrests with multiple charges.

Detective Lee is known for her persistence, precision, and tireless work ethic. Her ability to manage complex investigations while treating victims with compassion exemplifies the mission of the Hawai‘i Police Department.