Former police officer sentenced
POSTED: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Former Honolulu police officer Glenn Miram called it “;an impetuous, thoughtless mistake”; that cost him his reputation and his career.
The “;mistake”; was tipping off the people who ran an illegal cockfighting operation in Waialua of an impending police raid because he was upset with his supervisor. Miram, 34, was assigned to the Honolulu Police Department's Narcotics/Vice Division at the time.
U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Miram yesterday to spend 50 consecutive weekends behind bars at the federal detention center in Honolulu for conspiring to obstruct law enforcement to facilitate an illegal gambling business. She also ordered him to pay a $3,000 fine.
Miram was hoping to avoid spending any time behind bars, but Mollway said the nature and seriousness of the crime warrant some prison time.
“;You were making law enforcement efforts a sham,”; Mollway said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni recommended a prison term of between six and 12 months, which is less than any of the other defendants in the conspiracy, because Miram, she said, “;was the least culpable”; of all those charged.
She also said Miram cooperated in the prosecution of the other defendants and was willing to testify against them in trial.
Mollway had already sentenced Bryson Apo, another former police officer involved in the case, to 18 months in prison. Former Wahiawa patrol Sgt. Kevin Brunn is awaiting sentencing for conspiracy and extortion.
“;He's no Bryson Apo. He's definitely no Kevin Brunn,”; said Robert Prasser, retired HPD assistant chief, who spoke on behalf of Miram in court, explaining that Miram's culpability was not as bad as the other officers'.