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Surrounded by chainlink fence, piles of discarded tires and “no trespassing” signs, the 10-acre property on Iliili Road in Waianae doesn’t appear like the kind of place that once bustled with people.

But, according to federal court records, on at least six occasions over the last year, hundreds of spectators poured in to watch large-scale chicken fighting “derbies” and wager thousands of dollars as blade-bearing roosters fought to the death.

Now, six Waianae residents accused of running the events on the property face gambling charges in one of the largest federal cockfighting cases on Oahu.

Cockfighting, which is illegal nationwide, is controversial in Hawaii – one of the few states that considers it a misdemeanor crime rather than a felony. Opponents see it as a brutal act of animal cruelty while others say it is a social event that holds cultural significance.

But law enforcement officials and residents agree that along with cockfighting often come other criminal activities, such as gambling, which is illegal in Hawaii, drug dealing and violence.

The issue drew national attention earlier this year when two people were killed and three wounded in a shooting that broke out at a cockfight elsewhere in Waianae on April 15. Two men, including a teenager, have been charged with murder and firearm-related offenses in that case.

“In the old days it was just what we used to call nickel and dimes, you’d just make some extra dollars for the movies,” said Richard Landford, a member of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board. “From what I hear nowadays in the last 20 years, the thing has gone crazy.”

In response to the shooting, Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan vowed to crack down on illegal gambling while noting that it’s hard to tackle cockfighting because the events are highly organized within a tight-knit community and are held on private property.

A Family Affair

The Waianae cockfighting ring prosecutors say was being run by Edward Caspino, 46, and his co-defendants was a family affair that brought in at least $2,000 in revenue on any given day – a threshold it had to meet to be defined as an illegal gambling business under federal law, court documents say.

On days when derbies were held, hundreds would attend to bet on the fights and wager on other “games of chance” like craps on the property at 87-881 Iliili Road.

Caspino and his crew would charge for admission, seats, parking and concessions. They’d also take a cut of the bets, according to documents. An undercover officer who attended a cockfight in March witnessed “hundreds of spectators and thousands of dollars being gambled at this single event.” 

One co-defendant, Fausto Aragon Jr., 65, sold exclusive seats close to the fights and managed cleanup after the events, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say Caspino’s wife, Kerilyn Keliinoi, 31, helped with the day-to-day operations and handled cash from fight attendees. 

Caspino’s brother, William Caspino, 48, assisted with tasks like setting fight schedules, soliciting fighters and constructing a “chicken fighting pavilion” for spectators. 

Caspino’s mother, Lavern Joseph, 71, controlled a safe deposit box containing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and helped make monthly mortgage payments to the property owner, Howard Unebasami, 80, who is also charged in the indictment. 

More than $460,000 in cash were seized from a safe controlled by Joseph on March 2, and another nearly $130,000 was seized from a residence on Moekolu Street in Waianae later that month.

All six have been charged with one count each of conspiracy and illegal gambling with a trial set for Jan. 17. The suspects all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Cracking Down

Edward Caspino, who is accused of directing the cockfighting operation, is charged with an additional count of illegal gambling. He’s also charged in a separate case with three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is the only one being held without bail pending trial. The others were released on $50,000 bond. 

Edward Caspino’s attorney, William Harrison, said he feels the recent indictment is a way for law enforcement officials to show they’re cracking down on illegal activity in West Oahu.

Harrison said he hasn’t seen a federal cockfighting case of this size since Honolulu police officers were indicted on charges of protecting cockfighting rings on the North Shore in 2006.

“I don’t understand at this point why they’re getting involved in it other than there’s been a big outcry in the community about shootings and things that go on, drug dealing that goes on, things of that nature, which my client has no involvement in,” he said.

U.S. Attorney Clare Conners, who is prosecuting the case, said the amount of money involved in the operation allowed it to be prosecuted under federal statute. 

“We will focus on cases where there are substantial proceeds, as there were in this instance, because where there is a lot of money moving around, that gives more tools for criminal activity to happen,” she said.

Lt. Domingo Manog, who joined a gambling detail in February, said the size and amount of money involved in each operation can vary greatly, and the police department relies largely on tips and complaints from the community to conduct their investigations. 

Enforcement of the ban on cockfighting has ramped up since the deadly shooting April.

Before that, police hadn’t conducted a raid or arrested anyone for cockfighting in “well over a year,” spokeswoman Michelle Yu said at the time.

One of the last major federal cases was in the late 1990s and early 200s when 32 people were indicted on gambling and money laundering charges.

Police have conducted raids about once or twice a month since April and have arrested four people so far this year in connection to cockfighting, Manog said. That includes 16-year-old Shae’Dan-Styles McEnroe-Keaulii and 23-year-old Jacob Borge, who are charged in the April shooting and are scheduled to stand trial on Dec. 11 and Jan. 8, respectively, according to court records.

‘The Old Days Are Gone’

Those who have attended cockfights in the past say it has changed a lot over the years. 

Landford said when he was growing up, he would see cockfights across the street from Waianae Elementary school almost every weekend. It was mostly older men who participated and would bet $20 to $50 to make extra pocket money, he said. 

“In the beginning it was just a place you could go,” Landford said. “It was more controlled, they didn’t let people in who were going to cause trouble.” 

Philip Ganaban, who is also on the neighborhood board, said part of what made the Caspino operation stand out from other neighborhood cockfights was the permanent structure erected to host the events. Most cockfighters like to remain under the radar. The one that resulted in the deadly shooting occurred on a dirt lot in Maili.

He said the Caspinos used to host smaller family cockfights, but when those got shut down, the Caspino brothers branched out and started a new operation that grew into the one recently busted by federal investigators. 

To Ganaban, traditional cockfighting events are cultural experiences that don’t involve drugs, large amounts of cash or violence. 

“Not having drugs or any type of organized crime involved with cockfighting has always been safe and family-oriented,” he said. 

Animal rights activists disagree and have advocated for stricter penalties against the practice in the islands.

“Such organized and willful abuse of animals is contrary to the values of a humane, aware and caring society,” the Hawaii Humane Society .

Wherever residents come down on the issue of cockfighting, they say they don’t want to see major gambling operations or violence in their communities. 

“They’ve got to take away all this kind of stuff,” Landford said. “Nowadays, the guys get the money. They don’t care, they just care about the money. The old days are gone.”