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POSTED: Saturday, December 20, 2008
                       

This story has been corrected. See below.

A federal jury found a former Honolulu Police Department officer, his wife and three others guilty yesterday for their roles in a case involving cockfighting, gambling, obstruction and extortion.

Former Wahiawa patrol sergeant Kevin Brunn, 47, was convicted of conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement with the intent to facilitate an illegal gambling operation in Waialua that ran from 2003 to 2005.

He was also convicted of conspiracy to extort property from an owner of the gambling business and four counts of extorting money from the business. He could be sentenced to up to 20 years' imprisonment for the extortion counts and five years for obstruction.

Douglas Gilman Sr., 79, and his sons, Douglas Jr., 56, and William, 50, were found guilty of conspiring to conduct an illegal gambling business involving cockfighting, dice and card games held at a property across from Waialua Elementary School. They face up to five years in prison for each count.

Brunn's wife, Micha Terragna, 42, was convicted of conspiring to conduct the gambling business with the Gilmans, conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement, and four counts of extorting money from the business. She could get up to 20 years for the extortion counts, five years for gambling and gambling conspiracy and five years for obstruction of law enforcement.

The eight-week trial ended with all the defendants resting after federal prosecutors had presented their case.

“;We did not put on a case because we didn't believe the government met its burden of proof,”; said Pamela Tamashiro, attorney for defendant Douglas Gilman Sr., 79. She added they relied on their tough cross-examination of the government's witness, Charles Gilman, her client's other son.

Tamashiro said Charles cut a deal with the government “;to escape liability for his drug dealing,”; and “;sold his soul to the government to avoid a life sentence,”; testifying against his father and two brothers.

Charles Gilman admitted last year he ran the cockfights and paid off Terragna to avoid a possible shutdown of the gambling business. He pleaded guilty to two charges stemming from drug and gambling conspiracies.

Brunn, who was employed as a police officer at the time of the illegal gambling, left HPD last year after 23 years. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Honolulu Police Chief Boisse Correa said “;HPD fully cooperated with federal investigators from the start.”;

“;The conviction closes a dark chapter in HPD history,”; he said.

Former HPD officers Glenn Miram and Bryson Apo had already pleaded guilty to charges they gave advance notice to the Waialua operators of raids by the gambling detail.

Douglas Gilman Jr. and Sr. will be sentenced April 6. William Gilman will be sentenced April 20. Brunn and Terragna's sentencing is set for April 13.

The federal investigation into the gambling operation resulted from wiretapping of a drug investigation of John Saguibo, another defendant who pleaded guilty in the gambling case.

 

               

     

 

 

CORRECTION         A federal trial jury found a former Honolulu police officer and others guilty for their roles in a gambling case involving cockfighting. This story originally referred to a grand jury.