Florida Man Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Wire Fraud Charges in Chicago
Makaio' Kekoa is accused in an indictment of running a fraudulent investment scheme; he has denied the charges and the case has not been decided.
3 reports on this incident · first at Aug 18, 2026, 8:52 a.m. ET
Earlier reports
Aug 18, 2026, 8:50 p.m. ET
Florida Man Indicted on Federal Wire Fraud Charges in Chicago
A federal indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges Makaio' Kekoa, 39, of Wimauma, Florida, with two counts of wire fraud, according to the indictment announcement issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois on Aug. 17, 2026.
According to that record, Kekoa falsely told victim investors that he could place their money in short-term, high-yield investment opportunities when no such opportunities existed, and instead misappropriated the funds for personal use, including gambling. From 2019 to 2022, the indictment alleges, Kekoa caused victim investors cumulative losses of at least $180,000, including four people residing in the Northern District of Illinois. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Kekoa pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in federal court in Chicago, and a status hearing was set for Sept. 24, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin.
The case is undecided. As of the Aug. 17, 2026 announcement, the matter stood at the charging stage only: there has been no trial, no plea of guilty and no verdict, and nothing in the record indicates how the case was resolved. An indictment is not evidence of guilt. As the U.S. Attorney's Office record states, "The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
Reporting by abc7chicago.com noted that each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. That figure is a statutory maximum, not a sentence; no sentence has been imposed, because guilt has not been determined.
Aug 18, 2026, 8:52 a.m. ETFirst report
Florida Man Indicted in Chicago Federal Court Over Alleged Investment Scheme
On August 17, 2026, federal authorities announced that Makaio’ Kekoa, 39, of Wimauma, Florida, had been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago on two counts of wire fraud, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office announcement for the Northern District of Illinois and the indictment returned in that court. The criminal case remains open and undecided. Kekoa is charged and untried; an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and, in the words of the announcement, "The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
The indictment alleges that Kekoa, who was formerly known as "Lorenzo Hood," "Lorenzo Chryssikos Hood," or "Zo," falsely told victim investors that he had the ability to invest their money in short-term, high-yield investment opportunities. According to the indictment, no such investment opportunities existed and Kekoa is alleged to have used the funds for his personal purposes, including gambling, rather than investing them. Prosecutors allege that from 2019 to 2022 the scheme caused victim investors, including four individuals residing in the Northern District of Illinois, to incur cumulative losses of at least $180,000. None of these allegations has been tested at trial, and no findings have been made against Kekoa.
Kekoa pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in federal court in Chicago, and a status hearing was set for Sept. 24, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin. The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, with what the announcement described as valuable assistance from the Hillsborough County, Fla. Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman represents the government. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison; the announcement notes that if there is a conviction, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and must also order restitution to the victims.
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- Version 119 Aug 2026, 00:50current
First published.
- Version 118 Aug 2026, 12:52current
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- Version 119 Aug 2026, 00:53current
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