Previous Story
Poker robbery suspects enter not guilty plea
|
Posted on Jun 12 2000
Five of the six suspected robbers of a poker arcade and a convenience store on Saipan entered a plea of not guilty during their arraignment Friday at the U.S. District Court. Judge Alex R. Munson set start of their jury trial on August 14.
Their relatives and friends, some of them sobbing as the five appeared one by one in handcuffs and orange-regulated prison uniform with their court-appointed lawyers, packed the courtroom.
A grand jury a day before handed down indictment to the six accused, including Joaquin Dela Cruz Cangco who fled the island but was recently arrested in Seattle, Washington by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Those who were arraigned included Sidney Capelle Kani, 19 years old; Kenneth Dowai, 23; Juan Teigita, 22; Rodney Demei, 22 and Jeffery Tegei, 21. All of whom are U.S. citizens, except for Rodney who said he was born in Koror, Palau, but didn’t know his citizenship.
Joaquin and Juan are charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit offense, two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
Sidney is charged with four counts except for use of a firearm; Kenneth, also four counts, but only one count of robbery; Rodney and Jeffery, each with two counts of conspiracy and robbery.
They remain under the custody of U.S. Marshal as Judge Munson set no bail for their temporary release due to potential risks to the community.
The charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office stemmed from two incidents of robbery in January, one in Sun Poker and the other in LJ’s store. They fled with $2,200 cash from the two establishments after threatening and harming their cashiers.
The island has been hit by a string of robberies since early this year, mostly poker arcades and convenience stores. Authorities fear that these incidents are linked with the growing drug problem here.
