Carlisle ex rel. State v. Ten Thousand Four Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars in United States Currency ($10,447.00)

89 P.3d 823, 104 Haw. 323, 2004 Haw. LEXIS 335
Hawaii Supreme Court·Decided May 11, 2004·No. No. 23725·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

DUFFY, J.

Interested person-appellant Matsuji Shi-mabuku appeals from the judgment of the first circuit court, the Honorable Michael A. Town presiding, in favor of petitioner-appel-lee Peter B. Carlisle (petitioner). Specifically, Shimabuku appeals from the circuit court’s final judgment, filed on August 9, 2000, granting the Verified Petition for Forfeiture (Petition) and ordering forfeiture of $3,200.00 to the State of Hawai'i (State). Based on the following, we vacate the judgment of the first circuit court insofar as it ordered the forfeiture of $3,200.00 but affirm in all other respects; we remand to the circuit court with instructions to order the forfeiture of $1,300.00 and the return of the remaining $1,900.00 to Shimabuku.

I. BACKGROUND

The circuit court described the factual background of this case as follows:

1. The Defendant property (“subject currency”) was seized for forfeiture on January 11,1998 during the execution of a search warrant by the Honolulu Police Department (“Seizing Agency”) in the City and County of Honolulu, State of Hawaii.
2. The circumstances giving rise to the seizure are as follows:
a. During the summer of 1997, HPD Detective Alexander Ahlo (“Det. Ahlo”) received information from a reliable source concerning a large ongoing sports betting or bookmaking operation, and initiated an investigation.
b. During the period from September 17, 1997 through January 8, 1998, Det. Ahlo obtained evidence that one Nathan Yoshioka (“Yoshioka”) was operating a large sports betting operation through his business, Pro Am Golf Shop, accepting bets on college and professional football games through wireless com[326] munications to and from his cellular telephone.
c. During the investigation, on 21 separate occasions, civilians working in cooperation with HPD investigators[ ] placed more than 100 bets with Yoshioka through his cellular telephone, placing more than 5 bets totalling more than $500.00 on each occasion.
d. A court-authorized pen register and trap and trace devices were installed and utilized by HPD investigators to record telephone conversations between Yoshioka and others, including Claimant [Shimabuku], during which bets were placed and [wagers settled] with Yoshio-ka, and sports betting information was distributed.
e. During the hearing on the Petition, Det. Ahlo was qualified as an expert in the area of gambling and sports bookmaking.
f. Based on his participation in past investigations Det. Ahlo was aware of Claimant’s past participation in gambling activities, and based on his training and experience in this area, Det. Ahlo opined that Claimant was allowed to participate as a bettor in Yoshioka’s sports bookmaking scheme because Claimant had established a reputation in gambling circles for paying off his gambling debts.
g. Det. Ahlo further opined that this was significant because in this sports bookmaking scheme, bets are placed but no money is paid until after a sports activity is completed, and sports bookmaking houses only accepted wagers from persons who paid their debts.
h. If a bettor loses his/her bet, the bettor must pay the “house” or persons working for the house (“runner”) the amount of the bet lost, plus a vigorish[1] equivalent to twenty percent (20%) of the total loss, and if a bettor wins, the house pays the bettor the amount of the wager placed. If multiple wagers are placed, the wagers are “settled” with the bettor or house paying the net loss or win, respectively, but in all' cases, the bettor must pay the 20% vigorish on all losses.
i. Of the more than 30 persons involved in Yoshioka’s sports bookmaking operation, HPD investigators were able to identify 21 individuals, including approximately 13 persons who served as runners, 2 of which [sic] participated as houses, 2 additional persons who were identified as sports bookmaking operators and/or houses, and 8 bettors including Claimant.
j. During the seven-day period from December 12 through 19,1997, Claimant placed six (6) wagers with Yoshioka to-talling $1,400.00.
k. During the seven-day period from December 20 through 27,1997, Claimant placed nine (9) wagers with Yoshioka totalling $1,800.00.
l. In settling Claimant’s won and loss wagers, Claimant suffered a net loss of $980.00 plus a 20% vigorish which he was required to pay on all lost wagers.
m. A total of ten (10) search warrants were issued and executed at the residences and/or businesses of some of the persons identified as having participated in Yoshioka’s gambling scheme, including Claimant’s residence, for any evidence of gambling or gambling records and paraphernalia, including items commonly used in furtherance of gambling, and United States moneys and other negotiable instruments.
n. A total of $9,997.00 of the subject currency was seized from Shimabuku’s pants pockets and the remaining $450.00 of the subject currency was recovered from Shimabuku’s bedroom closet shelf.
o. Claimant is married, his wife handles their finances, they have no savings or checking accounts to which Shimabu-ku has access, and their only source of income is their Social Security benefits.
p. Also recovered from Claimant’s bedroom in close proximity to the sub[327] ject currency were expired World Series pool tickets, sports betting devices, which although expired, constituted gambling records.
q. The subject currency was seized as property which was used or intended for use, in the commission of, attempt to commit, or conspiracy to commit the covered offenses of Promoting Gambling in the First Degree and Possession of Gambling Records in the First Degree, or which facilitated or assisted in such activity, or proceeds or other property acquired, maintained or produced by means of or as a result of the commission of those covered offenses.
3. On March 17, 1998, a Petition for Administrative Forfeiture was filed by the Prosecuting Attorney in A.G. No. 98-05695.
4. Claimant sought judicial review of the State’s forfeiture action[,] and on May 29, 1998[ ] ... the State filed the above-entitled Petition....

On August 31, 1999, Shimabuku filed a motion to dismiss, or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. There is nothing in the record indicating that the circuit court denied the motion. However, the Petition came up for hearing before the circuit court, the Honorable Michael A. Town presiding, on April 5 and April 25, 2000, suggesting that the circuit court in fact denied Shimabuku’s motion.

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Carlisle ex rel. State v. Ten Thousand Four Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars in United States Currency ($10,447.00), 89 P.3d 823, 104 Haw. 323, 2004 Haw. LEXIS 335 (haw 2004).

89 P.3d 823 (Carlisle ex rel. State v. Ten Thousand Four Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars in United States Currency ($10,447.00)) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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