Saturday, May 25, 2013
HPD officer found not guilty in DUI checkpoint overtime fraud
POSTED: 05:48 p.m. HST, May 05, 2011
LAST UPDATED: 06:12 p.m. HST, May 05, 2011
Honolulu police officer Leighton Kato was found not guilty in state Circuit Court late this afternoon on charges that he falsified a report to allow his supervisor to claim overtime.
After a two-day trial, the jurors deliberated less than an hour before finding Kato, 37, not guilty of tampering with a government record and two counts of being an accomplice to third-degree theft.
Kato is one of seven members of the Honolulu Police Department's traffic unit that conducts DUI roadblocks who is charged with falsifying reports. He was the first to stand trial. Another officer is scheduled for trial next week and four others are scheduled later this month.
A seventh officer pleaded guilty in March and is awaiting sentencing.
HPD reassigned all seven to restricted duty pending the results of an internal investigation.
The City Prosecuting Attorney's office said it dismissed more than 200 DUI cases because of the allegations that the officers falsified reports.
Police officer found not guilty in false-overtime case
Second HPD officer found innocent in overtime fraud case
False-OT case charges dismissed
Trial begins for second officer accused of OT-rigging scheme
Officers make deal on false-report counts
Charges against HPD officers dismissed
Trial starts in fudged report on DUI stop
Trust in supervisors cited in overtime scam
New trial dates set for 2 more HPD officers accused of falsifying documents
Trial dates set for HPD officers in overtime scam
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