Former Honolulu police Sgt. Kevin Brunn and his wife will go to prison for one year apart for their roles in an illegal gambling and cockfighting operation across from Waialua Elementary School.

U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Brunn, 47, to 2 1/2 years behind bars and his wife, Micha Terragna, 42, to two years in prison. She also ordered each of them to pay a $3,000 fine.

Mollway is allowing Brunn to turn himself in on June 15 and allowing Terragna to turn herself in on June 18, 2010.

Terragna had asked Mollway to allow her to remain free until her 17-year-old daughter graduates from high school next year. The couple has two other minor children—a boy, 9, and a girl who turned 5 yesterday.

Brunn and Terragna will also be on supervised release for three years after they complete their prison terms.

A federal jury found Brunn guilty of conspiring to obstruct law enforcement officials to facilitate illegal gambling; conspiracy to extort; and extortion. The jury found Terragna guilty of conspiring to operate an illegal gambling business; illegal gambling; conspiring to obstruct law enforcement; and extortion.

The government said the couple extracted money from the gambling operators by threatening to shut them down.

Terragna's lawyer had asked Mollway to sentence his client to probation so the couple's three minor children will not be without both of their parents at the same time.

But Mollway, who presided over the trial, said Terragna deserves prison time because she played a major role in the gambling operation.

“;She was very much involved in keeping the chicken fights going,”; she said.

Mollway also rejected Brunn's plea for a lower sentence because of his nearly 23-year career as a police officer.

“;He's had a commendable service record, but he's blackened it,”; she said.