Former liquor investigator
admits taking bribes
from bar proprietors
A former Honolulu liquor investigator admitted yesterday that he received bribes from bar owners in exchange for overlooking liquor violations.
Arthur M. Andres, 60, pleaded guilty to federal racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and four counts of extortion.
Andres is the sixth Liquor Commission investigator to plead guilty to charges in a 57-count federal indictment filed in May 2002. Trial for two remaining co-defendants, investigator Eduardo Mina and former supervisor Harvey Hiranaka, is scheduled to begin today in U.S. District Court.
Defense attorney Reginald Minn confirmed yesterday that Andres had entered a guilty plea, but with no plea agreement.
"He's not cooperating with the government," Minn said. "There was no deal."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Seabright declined comment.
According to the indictment, Andres was charged with receiving $400 in April 2001 from Club By Me; $100 and a bottle of tequila in December 2000 from Club Pearlridge, which he turned over to an undercover investigator; and $100 in June 2001 from Club Moonlight, which he turned over to fellow investigator Kenneth Wright. Also in April 2001, he received $200 of the $400 that Club Tomorrow gave to the undercover investigator.
Prosecutors have said the investigators told each other which liquor establishments were paying bribes and then split the payments, often in the offices of the Honolulu Liquor Commission.
Andres has since retired from the Liquor Commission and remains free on bail pending his sentencing in January. He faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison on each count.
The indictment stemmed from a year-long investigation by the FBI and Honolulu police in which a fellow investigator agreed to secretly tape conversations with his colleagues between October 2000 and September 2001. The investigator, Charles Wiggins, later sued the city and Liquor Commission administrators for violating his civil rights and retaliating against him when he blew the whistle on fellow inspectors.
Last year, the city agreed to pay Wiggins $387,500 to settle the suit. Wiggins is expected to testify at trial.
All those who pleaded earlier did so with the agreement that they would testify for the government against the remaining investigators.
Investigators Kenneth L. Wright, Samuel K.Y. Ho, William B. Richardson Jr., Collin M. Oshiro and former supervisor David K.H. Lee will be sentenced after the trial.