Posted on: Friday, February 21, 2003

HPD officer pleads not guilty in theft case

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A Honolulu police officer pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court yesterday to a second degree theft charge alleging that he stole money from a man who was arrested on drug charges during a police raid on a Waikiki hotel room last August.

Circuit Judge Dan Kochi set a tentative trial date of April 21 for Robert Fu, who is assigned to the Police Department's Narcotics/ Vice Division.

Fu, 44, who has worked for the Police Department for the past 10 years, was one of several police officers who went to the hotel room of John R. Nix on Aug. 9 and arrested him on a number of drug charges. An indictment issued by the O'ahu grand jury last week accuses Fu of taking Nix's property worth more than $300, but does not specifically mention cash.

But Nix's lawyer, state Deputy Public Defender Tim Rakieten, said in court papers filed shortly after Nix's arrest that Nix claims money was stolen from him during his arrest.

Fu's lawyer, David Gierlach, yesterday said the charges resulted from "prosecutorial over-reaching and making something out of nothing."

"These are false charges, and we intend to prove it in this case," Gierlach said. Fu declined to comment.

Because of the ongoing internal investigation, Fu was reassigned in August to desk duty.