The leader of an alleged Waianae gang pleaded not guilty in federal court Wednesday to running chicken fighting derbies and illegal gambling dens, and marketing methamphetamine.
Edward Caspino, 46, his brother William, 48, their mother Lavern Joseph, 71, and Edward’s wife, Kerilyn Keliinoi-Caspino, 31, were indicted by a federal grand jury Oct. 26 and arrested Tuesday before entering not guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter.
Federal agents also on March 2 seized $468,800 in illegal proceeds allegedly from the group from safe deposit boxes at Bank of Hawaii’s Waianae Branch. Agents also took $122,763 on March 29 from a home on Moekolu Street in Waianae.
Their trial is set for Jan. 17.
William Caspino, Keliinoi-Caspino, and Joseph were released on an unsecured $50,000 bond ahead of trial. Edward Caspino remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center, Honolulu ahead of a detention hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese is prosecuting the cases. He declined comment.
William A. Harrison, Edward Caspino’s attorney who stood in for William Caspino’s attorney, Robert J. Christensen, declined comment after the appearance.
Joesph’s attorney, Richard Sing, and Keliinoi-Caspino’s attorney, Mark S. Kawata, also declined comment. The family members are prevented from discussing the case unless in the presence of their attorneys.
According to an affidavit from an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Edward Caspino leads a gang known as “Westside” and the agent was told by “multiple law enforcement sources, and other confidential sources, that Caspino is the leader of this gang.”
Edward Caspino also made an initial appearance in connection with allegations in a separate complaint that he fronted methamphetamine and set up sales of the drug in $6,500 increments in July 2021 with an old friend working as a confidential source for the government.
The source was recruited by the DEA after they were caught selling methamphetamine to an undercover officer, according to court documents, but was promised nothing and is hoping for “potential prosecutorial consideration.”
The evidence gathered against Edward Caspino is allegedly corroborated by “other sources, including telephone subscriber/toll records, physical surveillance, information provided by other confidential sources, and the consensually-recorded interactions” between the source, Edward Caspino, and others.
He is charged with three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Images and audio gathered from aerial and other surveillance were used by the government to document the alleged drug sales, according to the complaint.
Each count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a maximum sentence of life, and a fine of up to $10 million.
The large-scale “derbies,” involved betting on the birds, side crap games and other gambling, according to federal prosecutors.
Howard Unebasami, and Fauston Aragon Jr. were also indicted Oct. 26.
According to federal court documents, on multiple occasions between March 12, 2022 and Dec. 16, 2022, Keliinoi-Caspino allegedly sent a text message to another person with “the upcoming chicken fight schedule, including required weights, entry fees, fight instructions, and related information.”
On Nov. 26, 2022, Dec. 4, 2022, Feb. 25, March 5 and March 18, the “defendants held a large-scale chicken fight event” at the property owned by Joseph and William Caspino at 87-881 Iliili Road in Waianae with “gambling on chicken fights and on games of chance,” according to the indictment.
Aragon, Jr., 65, of Pearl City, and Howard Unebasami, 80, of Waianae, are expected to appear in court later this week, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The Caspino brothers allegedly “managed the day-to-day operation of the chicken fight events by “setting fight schedules, soliciting fighters, constructing the chicken fighting pavilion and seating” and directing their mother to make payments for the property.
It was a further part of the conspiracy that Keliinoi-Caspino “assisted in the day-to-day operation of the chicken fight events by, among other things, collecting and handling U.S. currency from chicken fight event attendees.”
Aragon allegedly worked at the chicken fight events “by selling access to seats close to the chicken fights and managing the clean-up crew after the completion of each fight.”
The indictment charges all six with conspiracy and the operation of an illegal gambling business.
The group allegedly “conducted, financed, managed, supervised, directed or owned an illegal gambling business.”
The indictment also accuses Edward Caspino with operating an undisclosed number of illegal game rooms.
If convicted, each defendant faces a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to three years on each count listed in the indictment.
On May 6, and May 15, 2020, Unebasami allegedly used two checks from Basami LLC, a business he controlled, to buy cashier’s checks for $20,000 and $60,000, which was provided to an escrow company as partial down payment for the purchase of the property where the derbies were held.
On June 1, 2020, William Caspino and Joseph allegedly bought the property from Basami LLC for $600,000, and used money previously provided by Unebasami as a down payment. Starting June 30, 2020, and on a monthly basis through Jan. 1, Joseph paid Basami LLC in cash “not derived from the legitimate income” of either her or her son William.
Unebasami allegedly learned of the illegal activity on the property and continued to finance it.
Federal prosecutors allegedly have evidence of Joseph and her sons discussing the property payments and derbies.
The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the DEA, the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
