HONOLULU -- Judge Sam King criticized Gary Rodrigues and his attorney Wednesday for several incidents after a guilty verdict against Rodrigues Tuesday.
A jury found Rodrigues guilty Tuesday on 118 counts of theft, wire embezzlement 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.
The group was back in court Wednesday to discuss the prosecution's push for fines of up to $308,080.
King decided to wait on that matter until Judge David Ezra returned from another case on the Mainland. The case will be reconvened on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
However, King told Rodrigues' attorney, Doron Weinberg, that his client should keep his behavior in check. He pointed to two incidents he heard about.
One incident was immediately after the conviction. Witnesses said Rodrigues told his granddaughter to remember the faces of the prosecutors.
In the other incident, Rodrigues threw the microphone of a KITV 4 News reporter who tried to ask a question outside the courthouse.
Weinberg said both incidents were "over-exaggerated."
Tension was high Wednesday morning between the media and Rodrigues family members and supporters.
Weinberg said Rodrigues and Sabatini believe they are victims of a government witchhunt.
"They think that the government has for three or four years done everything it could to try to string together a case that was going to get Gary and his daughter convicted. I think that they brought Robin in as a hostage," Weinberg said.
He said Ezra should not have allowed prosecutors to lump all the allegations each with multiple charges into a single trial.
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