Court releases IPI’s liquor vault key to Clear Management

The District Court for the NMI, pursuant to Joshua Gray’s request, has released Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC’s liquor vault key to court appointed receiver Clear Management Ltd to carry out receivership.

Last Oct. 31, Gray made a motion requesting that the District Court provide the key to IPI’s liquor vault to Clear Management to carry out receivership on IPI’s personal property. This personal property includes the liquor that is being stored in IPI’s liquor vault in the basement of the casino.

District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona Manglona has since granted this request and has ordered that the vault key be released to Clear Management.

“Because the court finds that Clear needs the key in order to carry out its duties under the order, Gray’s motion is hereby granted. Accordingly, Clear shall retrieve the key from the court by contacting the Clerk’s Office and shall retain possession of that key until the liquidation of IPI’s liquor is complete or otherwise ordered by the Court,” said Manglona in her order.

Gray is a former IPI employee who sued the casino investor over discrimination claims. He was granted a writ of execution back in August that allows him to seize and sell IPI properties to satisfy his $5,686,182 judgment. However, he asked the court last month to grant him a limited receivership instead.

Last Oct. 23, the court issued an order appointing Clear Management as Limited Receiver for the Sale of IPI’s personal property that directs Clear to liquidate the personal property subject to Gray’s writ of execution that was executed by the U.S. Marshals.

Manglona stated that the limited receiver shall have the option to sell any of IPI’s personal property itself or to contract with third-parties or specialists to sell any of IPI’s personal property, such as the liquor or art belonging to IPI, without further approval by the court.

Clear Management will also be paid an 18% commission on the sale of IPI properties, and the limited receiver shall decide how that sum is split with any contractors.

Last May, Manglona ruled in favor of Gray in his discrimination suit against IPI and awarded him compensatory damages of $121,545.55 in back pay, $300,000 in lost future earnings, and $1 million in emotional distress damages.

Manglona also granted Gray punitive damages at a ratio of 3:1 of punitive damages to compensatory damages, totaling $4,264,636.65.

Gray initially requested $3,939,768 in compensatory damages with a ratio of 7:1 for punitive damages, which amount to $31,518,144 in total damages.