Former investigator
sentenced to prison
A former Honolulu liquor investigator was sentenced yesterday to 22 months at a federal prison camp for taking bribes in exchange for overlooking liquor violations.
Collin Oshiro, 34, of Aiea was one of eight former investigators on the night shift enforcement section who was indicted in May 2002 by a federal grand jury with multiple conspiracy and extortion counts.
"You're not entitled to supplement your income by accepting bribes. That's the worst type of public corruption there is, and we won't tolerate it," U.S. Chief Judge David Ezra said yesterday.
He said it was astounding that the enterprise was allowed to continue for so long.
"It's absolutely incomprehensible to this court, and the people of Hawaii deserve nothing better than honest public servants to do their job," Ezra said.
The charges stemmed from a year-long investigation in which fellow liquor investigator Charles Wiggins secretly taped the conversations of those he worked with from October 2000 to September 2001.
The liquor investigators allegedly targeted 45 liquor establishments or hostess bars on Oahu and received payments ranging from $40 to $1,080, according to the indictment.
Oshiro, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to racketeer and two counts of extortion involving two liquor establishments, apologized to his family, friends and everyone affected by his conduct.
"I know I was wrong, and I'm willing to accept responsibility and it starts right here, I guess," he said.
Ezra, who had earlier sentenced another investigator to 20 months, said although that defendant had a somewhat greater involvement in the conspiracy, his cooperation came much earlier and was much more substantial than Oshiro's.
Defense attorney Jerry Wilson said most of the inspectors who participated in the conspiracy worked a year or more without accepting bribes before they were "invited into the inner circle" by supervisors Harvey T. Hiranaka and David K.H. Lee. They and four other investigators who pleaded guilty are awaiting sentencing.
Oshiro resigned from the commission in October 2002 after six years as an investigator.
