Hawaii Man Sentenced for Scamming Elderly Californian Out of $2M

The fraud left the 79-year-old victim homeless after losing his life savings.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:07am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

John Tamahere McCabe, a 42-year-old Hawaii resident, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for defrauding an elderly Orange County, California man out of nearly $2 million. McCabe swindled the money by falsely promising to sell the victim's yacht and taking out unauthorized loans, leaving the 79-year-old victim homeless after losing his life savings.

Why it matters

Crimes that target vulnerable elderly residents are a growing concern, as scammers seek to exploit seniors who may have diminished capacity to protect their assets. This case highlights the need for stronger financial protections and oversight to prevent such devastating losses of life savings.

The details

According to court documents, McCabe convinced the 79-year-old victim that he could sell the victim's yacht for a substantial profit. Instead, McCabe took out unauthorized loans using the victim's yacht as collateral, ultimately defrauding the victim out of nearly $2 million and leaving him homeless.

  • On January 29, 2026, McCabe was sentenced to four years in federal prison for the fraud.

The players

John Tamahere McCabe

A 42-year-old Hawaii resident who was sentenced to four years in federal prison for defrauding an elderly California man out of nearly $2 million.

79-year-old victim

An elderly Orange County, California resident who was defrauded out of his life savings of nearly $2 million by McCabe, leaving him homeless.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I really like (the victim) and take full responsibility for my actions. I will and want to do everything in my power to pay (the victim) back everything he has lost.”

— John Tamahere McCabe

What’s next

The judge will determine if McCabe will be required to pay restitution to the victim as part of his sentence.

The takeaway

This case underscores the vulnerability of elderly residents to financial exploitation and the need for stronger safeguards to protect seniors' life savings from predatory scams.