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6 more arrested in
gambling sting

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

Police and federal agents have arrested six more people indicted last week for money laundering and gambling offenses.

Gustancia Roach, 66, Frankie Amano, 51, Yunguang Zhang, 38, and Mai Hyunh, 48, allegedly paid bribes to police officer Earl Koanui, who posed as a "cop on the take" for two years and eight months.

Joseph Kiili and Viefu Epenesa, taken into custody on the weekend, were charged only with gambling offenses.

The money laundering, which carries a 20-year maximum sentence, is related to 233 alleged payments totaling $311,731 made to Koanui by four separate gambling operations on Oahu, all of which were raided last week.

A total of 32 people were indicted, 19 of whom were arrested last week.

The indictments allege that Roach and Amano were associated with a Leeward group involved in cockfight, card, dice and other illegal gambling in Ewa and Waianae.

Zhang's affiliation is with another group tied to card and video gambling in Pearl City and Pawaa, and cockfighting in Waianae.

Hyuhn allegedly conducted an illegal gambling business at 72 N. Hotel St.