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Conservation officer allowed to post property bond
DFW official arrested over seizure of 3 live green sea turtles
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Posted on Apr 22 2016
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho yesterday allowed Division of Fish and Wildlife conservation officer Alvin K. Fitial to post a bail of $10,000 in property bond.
Fitial, 51, was arrested last weekend for allegedly taking one of three live endangered green sea turtles that were caught by four fishermen and allowed the group to leave with the two turtles. Three of the four fishermen were also arrested on charges of possession of an endangered/threatened species.
Camacho granted assistant public defender Charity R. Hodson’s motion to modify the $10,000 cash bail and release Fitial to a third party custodian upon posting $10,000 property bond.
Camacho found Fitial’s wife, Antonia Seman Fitial, suitable to serve as third party custodian.
The defendant posted 697 square meters of land as security.
Assistant attorney general Emily Cohen, counsel for the government, agreed with the bail modification and the wife to be third party custodian.
On Wednesday, Camacho allowed Fitial’s co-defendant, Vicente Aldan Sablan, 46, to be released on third party custodian upon posting a bail of $1,000 cash and $9,000 unsecured bond.
Co-defendants Anthony Pangelinan, 34, and Jeffrey Iguel Teigita, 37, remain in jail.
DFW Conservation Inspector Erwin T. Flores stated in his report that it was Commonwealth Ports Authority Police Sgt. Vincent Billy who discovered the group of fishermen in possession of three live endangered green sea turtles in a restricted area at Saipan seaport between 8:30pm to 9pm last Feb. 2.
Billy notified police and DFW about his discovery and Fitial responded to the scene.
