HILO, Hawai’i – William Brown, a detective with the Hawai’i County Police Department’s Vice Division, was found guilty of perjury, a Class C felony, on April 2, 2025, following a bench trial before Judge Peter K. Kubota.
The verdict stems from false testimony Brown provided to a grand jury proceeding before the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit. Brown was found to have knowingly made a false statement while under oath, violating his duty as a law enforcement officer and undermining the integrity of the justice system.
The specific incident involved an interview Brown conducted with a suspect in a drug case. The false statement involved his interview with a suspect in a case where drugs were found in a vehicle. During the interview, the suspect stated multiple times that the only item she brought into the vehicle with her was her cell phone. The majority of the drugs found in the vehicle were in a black bag which also contained a pink stuffed animal pencil type case. Brown then testified falsely during the grand jury that the suspect claimed to have brought both her cell phone and the pink stuffed animal case into the vehicle with her.
Deputy Attorney General Albert Cook, who handled the prosecution of the case stated, “Our legal system is designed to find the truth. When witnesses lie, it undermines our legal system and perverts the quest for justice. The Department of the Attorney General is committed to protecting the integrity of the criminal justice system and will prosecute those who commit perjury.”
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23, 2025, before Judge Peter K. Kubota. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.