21 years for William Sablan

William C. Sablan, who led the 14-hour hostage drama at Division of Corrections in Susupe last March, was sentenced yesterday to 21 years in prison.

Sablan’s sentencing came after he pled guilty on April 13 to federal charges of hostage-taking, possession of firearm and conspiracy to transport a firearm into the jail.

US District Court Judge Alex Munson gave Sablan the 21-year prison term, despite the defendant’s plea for a fewer years of punishment.

Sablan’s lawyer, Bruce Berline, pressed for 18 years to allow his client “enjoy the later years of his life with his family.”

Sablan is now 36 years old, and will be 57 by the time he gets out of prison. Parole is not available in the federal system.

“Mr. Sablan cooperated with the government. He admitted that what he did was wrong and he was remorseful. His decision to enter into a plea agreement with the government has influenced his co-defendants to do the same,” Berline told the judge.

Berline, in a failed attempt to win the judge’s sentiment, described Sablan as a “cause-oriented rebel” who tried “to fight for his and other inmates’ rights to be treated like everybody else.” (See related story).

US Asst. Atty. David T. Wood agreed that Sablan has substantially helped the federal government is solving the case.

However, Wood said, Sablan has several times displayed an attitude that offset his favorable deeds.

“There was one occasion when Mr. Sablan, while being transported on the plane back to Guam, made comments to the US Marshal that could logically be interpreted as threats,” Wood said.

Wood said such action would have warranted the filing of a separate charge against Sablan, but the federal government decided not bring that to the court.

“We would have recommended only 20 years, but decided to add another year for his act of threatening the Marshal agents,” Wood added.

Munson sent Sablan back to the custody of the US Marshal Service.

Sablan pleaded that he be transferred to a federal prison in the mainland, saying the jail in Guam, where he is being held, doesn’t have the rehabilitation program which he said he needs.

“I believe I have to be placed under a rehabilitation program with federal guidelines so I can get the help that I need,” Sablan told the judge.

Munson, however, refused to decide whether or not to send Sablan to a federal prison in the mainland, noting that he is facing several charges of assault and battery as well as robbery in local courts.

“I don’t want to disrupt the proceedings in other jurisdictions,” Munson said, adding that he would let the federal Bureau of Corrections decide where to take Sablan.

Munson, however, allowed Sablan to spend a few minutes with his family before being flown back to Guam.

Sablan was among the several prisoners charged by the US Attorney’s Office in connection with the prison takeover that rocked Saipan in the early morning of March 7.

The perpetrators held hostage some Chinese inmates after acquiring a 9-mm gun from the security locker.

The hostage-takers were eventually pacified by their families’ pleas.

Prior to the jail siege, Sablan led eight other convicts in the most infamous jailbreak last February.