One of the five current and former Honolulu police officers charged in federal indictments last week was simply following instructions from his superiors and did not intend to break any laws, his lawyer said yesterday.

Glenn Miram, a seven-year veteran who worked in the narcotics and vice detail, pleaded not guilty to a charge of plotting to protect a Waialua cockfight and gambling operation in 2004 and 2005.

He is the first among the five to be arraigned on the charges.

Federal Magistrate Judge Leslie Kobayashi scheduled the trial for June 6. She permitted Miram to remain free on a $25,000 unsecured bond pending the trial.

If convicted, Miram faces up to five years in prison.

Miram declined to comment as he left the courthouse, but his lawyer, William Harrison, said his client's job was to gather intelligence in a covert operation and share intelligence with other officers.

"Basically, he was under orders of his supervisors in the vice detail, and basically, was poorly supervised and poorly trained and did not know what was going on in terms of the operations," Harrison said.

He said his client did not intentionally get involved in any conspiracy to break the law and will "vigorously" contest the charge against him.

Harrison declined to disclose the names of the supervisors.

Miram, another officer and a former officer were charged last week with conspiring to protect the cockfight and gambling operation near Waialua Elementary School. Six others were also charged in the indictment with conducting the illegal activities.

Two other officers were charged in separate indictments with a firearms offense and with trying to hide cockfight gaffs from the FBI, which conducted the investigation.

Altogether, the grand jury returned five indictments, including two others on drug charges. One of those drug indictments alleged a secretary with the FBI leaked confidential information that was used by her co-defendants to hide their criminal activities.

Twenty-three individuals were charged in the indictments.

The three other officers and former officer are scheduled to be arraigned later.

Miram's indictment alleges that co-defendant Bryson Apo, an officer who has resigned, contacted Miram to find out where the gambling detail planned to raid and Miram told him on March 19 last year the detail would "bang Waialua tomorrow."

The indictment said Apo also provided Miram with a "push to talk" number on a cell phone for John Saguibo, a co-defendant charged with helping run the cockfight and gambling operation.

Other defendants have pleaded not guilty, and some are being held without bail pending their trials.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.