Cook gets 2 years in prison for ‘ice’ possession

In a move meant to signal his tough-on-drug-dealers policy, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho handed down yesterday a two-year prison term on a man who pleaded guilty to illegal possession of methamphetamine or “ice.”

The judge also noted what he called the “apparent lenient approach” of the Office of the Attorney General on drug dealers.

Joselito Pineda Sioco, 48, was directed to spend his two-year sentence without the possibility of parole. Sioco, also known as Jojo, was given credit for 152 days of time served. He also faces a mandatory fine of $2,000.

The clerk of court was directed to provide a copy of the sentencing order to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Sioco is a citizen of the Philippines.

At yesterday’s sentencing, assistant attorney general Chester Hinds recommended a sentence of five years imprisonment. Assistant public defender Shoshana Epstein, counsel for Sioco, recommended a prison sentence of one year or less.

The OAG originally charged Sioco with two counts of trafficking of a controlled substance and two counts of illegal possession of a controlled substance. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 60 years.

The OAG later amended the charges to only one count of illegal possession of a controlled substance. That carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

In his sentencing order, Camacho said he weight of 5 grams of “ice” is equal to five paper clips, with a street value of about $1,000.

He noted that last Sept. 27, Attorney General Edward Manibusan published his policy titled “On drug prosecution, a balanced approach to the ice epidemic,” which he said takes a “soft, lenient approach” to drug dealers selling “ice” under 5 grams.

Camacho said this explains why no drug dealer has been convicted of trafficking “ice” in the past three years. Most often, they were offered plea bargains for mere possession of “ice,” he added.

In Sioco’s case, Camacho said, there was nothing on the record that he cooperated with law enforcement that led to the arrest and conviction of other criminals, or that Sioco had a mental illness or disability, or his age or youth or other mitigating factors.

Camacho said that, in line with Manibusan’s “soft, lenient policy on drug dealers,” the OAG removed 55 years of a possible consecutive sentence.

To put it another way, Camacho said, the OAG gave a 91-percent “discount” on the possible maximum consecutive sentence.

The OAG had recommended a five-year prison term for Sioco.

CNMI Drug Enforcement Task Force officers arrested him in June. According to the plea deal, Sioco was found in possession of 0.8 gross grams of “ice” on April 4, 2017.

A “cooperating source” allegedly managed to buy “ice” from Sioco during two “buy-walk” operations.

Last September, Sioco signed a plea deal with the government and pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a controlled substance.