Updated at 12:04 p.m., Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Ex-liquor inspector sentenced to prison
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
A former Honolulu Liquor Commission inspector was sentenced yesterday to 20 months in prison for his role in a widespread bribery and racketeering scheme.
William B. Richardson Jr., 50, also was fined $10,000 by U.S. District Judge David Ezra. Richardson is the first of eight former liquor inspectors to be sentenced in one of the state's biggest cases alleging corruption in a government agency. He was ordered to begin his sentence Aug. 16.
Richardson pleaded guilty in August 2002 to one count of conspiracy and three counts of extortion. He was one of eight Liquor Commission inspectors who were indicted in May 2002 by a federal grand jury on the racketeering charges.
The eight were accused of accepting cash bribes on 58 occasions from October 2000 to December 2001 from owners, managers or employees of 45 hostess and strip bars in return for not enforcing liquor laws.
Six inspectors have pleaded guilty and two others — Harvey Hiranaka and Eduardo Mina — were found guilty by a federal jury in May.
Richardson had faced up to 20 years on each count, but Ezra sentenced him to 20 months because he cooperated with the government and testified at the trial of Hiranaka and Mina. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Seabright had asked that Richardson be sentenced to 21 to 27 months.
Seabright called the sentence "fair and just."
Ezra characterized Richardson's role in the scheme as "rather passive" and said Richardson's testimony was "truthful and honest" in a conspiracy that was "disgraceful, to say the least." But Ezra also said Richardson was an active participant in the scheme to defraud the public.
Richardson declined to comment after the sentencing, but he apologized in court for his actions.
"I apologize to the people of the state and the City and County for not doing my job that they entrusted in me," he said. "I did take money. I am wrong."
Donald Wilkerson, who represented Richardson, said the sentence was "fair."
"I thought (Ezra) approached the situation with some insight," Wilkerson said.
Richardson's 20-month sentence could be used as a measuring stick for the other defendants awaiting sentencing. In addition to Richardson, former inspectors David Lee, Collin Oshiro, Samuel Ho, Kenneth Wright and Arthur Andres have pleaded guilty to similar charges. Seabright declined to comment on the sentencing for the others.
In terms of culpability, Ezra said, Richardson was in the middle of the pack. "He wanted to be part of the boys," Ezra said.
Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com. Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Judge David Ezra's first name.
