An Oʻahu grand jury has handed up indictments tied to an illegal game room raid in Haleiwa on May 14, 2024, turning a quiet bust into a full-blown criminal case involving gambling, weapons and drugs. Prosecutors say the charging document targets one local man on a slate of felony counts and names two others in connection with gambling offenses.
According to KITV, 34-year-old Franklin Fale was indicted on second-degree promoting gambling, carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, two counts of place to keep a pistol or revolver and multiple drug-related counts. Prosecutors said authorities seized gambling devices, drugs, guns and cash during the May 14 raid, and that Fale is being held on $300,000 bail. The indictment also names 37-year-old Robert Lorin Jr. and 23-year-old Lyu Hangze on second-degree promoting gambling counts.
"Illegal game rooms too often become magnets for guns, drugs, violence and retaliation," Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm said, according to KITV. His warning accompanied Thursday's announcement of the indictments as prosecutors laid out the charges.
Oʻahu crackdown continues
Police say the Haleiwa operation is part of a broader islandwide effort to shut down unlicensed gaming rooms. In a June 9 news release, the Honolulu Police Department said its Narcotics/Vice Division seized 18 gambling machines and more than $11,000 in cash during a search at a gambling room on Waimakua Place, highlighting ongoing enforcement work. The Honolulu Police Department provided the case summary and a hotline for tips.
What the charges mean
Under Hawaii law, promoting gambling in the second degree is a class C felony under the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony is treated as a class A offense under the state weapons code, and both statutes and court rulings allow enhanced or extended terms when semiautomatic firearms are involved; see relevant decisions on FindLaw for how those sentencing rules have been applied.
The indictment now heads to Circuit Court, where the charges will move through the standard criminal process. All three defendants remain presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
