Rodrigues Found Guilty of 101 Fraud and Other Charges

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A federal court jury found United Public Workers leader Gary Rodrigues guilty of 101 fraud, money laundering and other charges filed against him in connection with union dental and medical contracts. His daughter, Robin Haunani Rodrigues Sabatini, was found guilty of 95 mail fraud, money laundering and other charges.

As the clerk read the verdict in the courtroom this evening, Sabatini sobbed on her father’s shoulder.

The jury must reconvene tomorrow morning to decide on a forfeiture charge against Sabatini.

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Rodrigues, Daughter Found Guilty On Federal Theft Charges
Prosecutors: Case Involved Kickback Scheme With Insurance Providers

POSTED: 5:17 p.m. HST November 19, 2002
UPDATED: 5:55 p.m. HST November 19, 2002

HONOLULU -- A federal jury found union leader Gary Rodrigues guilty on dozens of charges late Tuesday afternoon.

Rodrigues is the head of the United Public Workers union in Hawaii.

The jury found Rodrigues guilty on 118 counts of theft, wire embezzelment and other charges. Prosecutors said Rodrigues and his daughter, Robin Sabatini, stole more than $200,000 by forcing union insurance providers to pay kickbacks and unnecessary consulting fees.

"Obviously I'm surprised and more than disappointed. I'm a great believer in the jury system, but this is an injustice," Rodrigues' attorney Doron Weinberg said.

The long-time labor leader angrily refused comment to reporters after the verdict, grabbing and throwing the microphone of KITV 4 News reporter Tasha Kobashigawa to the ground.

Defense attorney Doron Weinberg said the verdict will be appealed.

In a month-long case, prosecutors produced documents that show Rodrigues designated Sabatini a consultant on union health plans, paying her hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.

An ex-girlfriend said Rodrigues used the same scheme to pay a debt to her father. Prosecutors also produced an insurance executive who said he paid Rodrigues over $100,000 in cash kickbacks in return for union business.

The two defendants refused to put on a defense.

Rodrigues became a UPW Kauai business agent in 1965 when he was 23-years-old.

He was elected UPW's state director in 1981.

In 1994, the Hawaii Supreme Court selected Rodrigues to serve on the committee to recommend candidates to be Bishop Estate trustees.

In 1997, he was appointed to the state's Judicial Selection Committee to choose judges.

A federal grand jury indicted Rodrigues and his daughter of fraud, money laundering and other charges in March of last year.

I'm a UPW member, as a matter of fact I was a head steward in unit one until I quit in disgust. Let me say this, I'm freaking delighted. I'd make a run at his office myself, but only the executive commitee gets to vote, and guess who's pocket they are in. There will be a coronation, Gary will run the outfit from prison, and things will go on as normal. The only relief I see from this situation is if our public employees are represented by another Union, I wish I knew how to make that happen without getting my house burned down. It's a shame, we really deserve better.

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Rodrigues found guilty of 101 fraud and other charges