DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM FBI secretary Charmaine Moniz, shown yesterday exiting the federal courthouse, was among those indicted in an gambling-drug ring. Prosecutors say Moniz was the point person in an operation that involved at least 23 people, including five police officers.

FBI worker, cops busted

An FBI secretary and five Honolulu police officers are among 23 people indicted

An internal FBI investigation of a secretary with security clearance was the key to unlocking illegal gambling and drug trafficking operations that led to indictments of the employee, five Honolulu police officers, and 17 other people, officials announced yesterday.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Charles Goodwin said Charmaine Moniz may be the first FBI employee to be prosecuted in Hawaii. Five federal indictments filed this week detail allegations of cockfighting near a school, gambling, drug dealing, extortion and an illegal machine gun.

Nine people were arrested yesterday, FBI officials said.

Moniz, whose husband, Eric also was indicted, turned herself in to authorities yesterday and was arrested on conspiracy charges stemming from her alleged participation in a drug trafficking organization. The charges carry a 20-year maximum sentence.

Moniz, an FBI employee since 1999, divulged sensitive information to drug dealers on Oahu's North Shore in 2003 and 2004, Goodwin said.

Her title was technical support services technician and she worked with the organized crime and drug squad. She had access to an FBI computer containing sensitive law enforcement information, officials said.

The FBI began investigating her in March 2004 after learning from sources that there was a leak in the federal law enforcement community, Goodwin said. She was placed on administrative leave without pay when the first search warrant was served in December 2004.

"On behalf of the FBI, I want to apologize to the people of Hawaii and the City and County of Honolulu for the breach of trust occasioned by the illegal activities of our now former employee," he said.

Goodwin said the indictments of police officers charged in the illegal gambling indictments filed Thursday stemmed from the investigation into Moniz.

FBI agents and the Honolulu Police Department's Internal Affairs Unit conducted a two-year investigation with 10 court-authorized wiretaps and more than 80 search warrants. Their investigation of Moniz revealed she passed the information to her husband, and eventually led to Damien Kalei Hina, who was allegedly involved in illegal trafficking of crystal methamphetamine.

Moniz also provided the tie to John Saguibo, a "key player who brokered information between the drug organization and the police department," Goodwin said.

Saguibo was the common link between both the drug-trafficking and the illegal gambling operations, which involved police officers, Goodwin said.

Six others suspected of drug dealing on the North Shore were indicted with the Monizes and Saguibo. They are Jess Lundren, Jonathan Kimo Luna, John Saguibo, Ronald B.L. Hill and Larene Rinkle.

Wiretapping and telephone interception of Saguibo established he was receiving information from Honolulu police officers Kevin Brunn, Glenn Miram, Bryson Apo and possibly others, Goodwin said.

The three officers have been charged with warning members of the operation of when the HPD's Vice Division intended to raid their cockfights, as well as craps and card games.

Brunn, a 21-year veteran of the department, and his wife, Micha Terragna, were also charged with extortion for allegedly demanding more than $3,500 in return for continuing to protect the gambling enterprise.

Saguibo passed on the police information to the drug-trafficking organization and was also the source of police information to known drug felon Charles Gilman, his father Douglas Gilman and his two brothers, Douglas Jr. and William, who were running chicken fights in Waialua for several years near Waialua Elementary School, the FBI said.

Indictment of the Gilmans involves the alleged conducting of that illegal gambling business including cockfighting, craps, card games and the protection or notification by police officers of pending raids.

Police officer Barry Tong, with 21 years service and a partner of Apo, was indicted separately for allegedly possessing an Israeli machine gun.

Another police officer, John Edwin Cambra IV, and his father were indicted for allegedly removing and concealing cockfighting spurs during an FBI search of their family's home in Kaneohe.

A final indictment unsealed yesterday charged Keele Vesnefski with conspiring to distribute and distributing methamphetamine. He was allegedly the source of drugs for Hina. Also indicted with him were Charles Gilman, Ahisa Kaluhiokalani, Michael Castaneda and Randy Lee-Kwai.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo praised Goodwin and Honolulu Police Chief Boisse Correa for their fine work and for taking "a lot of flak" from those within their organizations, union members and the public who questioned why the investigation was taking so long and why police officers were placed on paid administrative leave for months while the investigation was ongoing.

"This is a dark day for the Honolulu Police Department, obviously," Police Chief Boisse Correa said. "The indictment of five Honolulu police officers is extremely disheartening and disappointing."

Correa said after the federal investigation is complete, HPD will conduct an internal investigation that "should mushroom" into implicating more officers.