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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Prison sentence for bribed bar inspector

By Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Courts Writer

A former Honolulu Liquor Commission inspector was sentenced to 22 months in prison yesterday for his part in a widespread scheme of accepting money from bars in return for not enforcing liquor laws.

Collin Oshiro, 34, of 'Aiea, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Ezra, who went along with the 22-month recommendation by Oshiro's lawyer Jerry Wilson and assistant U.S. attorney Michael Seabright.

Oshiro was one of eight now-former liquor commission inspectors indicted by a federal grand jury in 2002 in what authorities said was one of the state's largest corruption cases involving a government agency. The indictment said the eight accepted cash bribes from October 2000 to December 2001 from the owners, managers or employees of 45 hostess and strip bars.

Oshiro and five others pleaded guilty. Two went to trial and were found guilty.

Oshiro, who left the commission after his indictment, apologized in court yesterday.

He is the second to be sentenced. William B. Richardson Jr., 50, was sentenced in July to 20 months and fined $10,000.

The other six are awaiting sentencing.