Former Honolulu police officer Kevin Brunn and his wife, Micha Terragna, have been sentenced to between two and three years in prison for their roles in protecting and profiting from an illegal cockfighting operation in the Waialua area.

To minimize the impacts of the sentences on the couple's three minor children, U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway directed that the prison terms be staggered, with Brunn to begin serving his 30-month sentence next month and Terragna to begin her two-year term in June 2010.

Brunn, who served in HPD for 23 1/2 years and rose to the rank of sergeant, "was entrusted with enforcing the law and instead assisted in the obstruction of law enforcement," Mollway said.

Brunn, who plans to appeal his conviction, did not say anything at his sentencing. Terragna tearfully asked Mollway to allow her to remain free until her 17-year-old daughter graduates from high school next year.

Mollway granted that request but rejected a plea from Terragna's lawyer for a sentence of probation.

Terragna was "very heavily involved in the success of the gambling business for her own personal gain," the judge said.

Mollway said she had doubts that either defendant had fully accepted responsibility for the seriousness of their acts.

Brunn's attorney, Richard N. Wurdeman, argued that his client's punishment should be less than that of another former HPD officer convicted in the case, Bryson Apo, and similar to the sentence of a third officer involved in the gambling operation, Glenn Miram.

Apo is serving a 30-month prison term and Miram was sentenced last week to 50 weekends in the Federal Detention Center.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Muehlick pointed out that Apo and Miram pleaded guilty in the case and that neither was paid any money for their roles in the cockfights.

As for Wurdeman's contention that Brunn did not personally profit from his role in the cockfighting operation, Muehlick pointed out that Terragna was receiving money from the gambling.

Brunn "knew money was coming into the house," Muehlick said.

Mollway ordered Brunn and Terragna to each pay $3,000 in fines, and each will be under three years of supervised release once they complete their prison sentences.

Brunn was a sergeant assigned to the Wahiawa station when the crimes occurred from November 2004 through March 2005.

A cousin of Brunn's, John Saguibo, and Charles Gilman, the godfather of one of Brunn's and Terragna's children, pleaded guilty in the case and testified in the federal court trial of other defendants last year.

Three of the other defendants, Douglas Gilman Sr., 79, Douglas Gilman Jr., 56, and William Gilman, 50, were found guilty of conspiring to conduct an illegal gambling business that involved cockfighting, dice games and card games in Waialua from 2003 to 2005.

Brunn was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice by tipping the gamblers to impending police raids. He was also convicted of five extortion-related counts.

Terragna was convicted of seven criminal counts, including gambling conspiracy and extortion.

Charles Gilman, who testified for the prosecution, admitted running a $2,000-a-day cockfighting derby with Terragna that included card and casino games.