Man pleads not guilty for possession of ‘meth’

A man allegedly caught in possession of crystal methamphetamine and three firearms last May 7 has pled not guilty to all eight charges against him.

The plea was made in front of Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja during 48-year-old John P. Deleon Guerrero’s arraignment hearing yesterday at the Superior Court in Susupe.

Deleon Guerrero, currently facing three counts of storage of a firearm, a count on removal of a firearm serial number, a count of possession of a firearm without firearm owner identification card, trafficking controlled substance, and two counts of illegal possession of a controlled substance, under order of Naraja is set to reappear before the court on Aug. 1, 2024, at 10am for a status conference with Associate Judge Lillian Tenorio.

Tenorio presided over Deleon Guerrero’s preliminary hearing last June 18, and had, due to presented testimony and evidence, found probable cause on all eight counts.

During the preliminary hearing, Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds, representing the government, presented testimony from a Department of Public Safety investigator and showcased photographs of the firearms. The witness confirmed these as the ones discovered in Deleon Guerrero’s alleged residence.

Testimony revealed that on May 7, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Task Force, alongside the Rapid Response Team, executed a search warrant at Deleon Guerrero’s Chinatown home. Upon arrival, officers noticed a man in a Mazda car parked 15 to 20 feet from the front entrance. This individual, later identified as John P. Deleon Guerrero, provided his ID upon request.

The witness recounted that an officer asked Deleon Guerrero if he possessed anything illegal. Guerrero responded, “Help me… I have something in my car,” and directed officers to a bag on the front passenger seat. A sweep of the car with K-9 dogs revealed 8.2 gross grams of a crystallized substance in baggies inside the larger bag. Police used their narcotics identification kit to test the substance, which tested positive for methamphetamine. They also found scales, Q-tips, and a syringe with a wet substance. Hinds explained that possessing over 5 grams implicated Deleon Guerrero in drug distribution, adding a count of drug trafficking.

Inside Deleon Guerrero’s alleged residence, officers discovered a cardboard box containing three firearms: a .22-caliber brown Marlin 882 (serial no. 11536045), a .22-caliber black Winchester 600 with the serial number removed, and a 9-mm black Walther Arms PPS (serial no. BA7122). It was confirmed that Deleon Guerrero was not a registered firearms license holder.

The testimony further detailed that Deleon Guerrero voluntarily agreed to accompany officers to the station for an official statement after being informed of his rights. Unhandcuffed, he admitted to owning the drugs and using meth daily, expressing a desire to cooperate with authorities. After his statement and further questioning, he was released on the promise of future cooperation.

However, according to the testimony, Deleon Guerrero did not uphold his promise. Consequently, a new arrest warrant was issued on May 17 and executed on May 20, when officers apprehended Deleon Guerrero in the upper housing area of Mihaville Estates in Garapan.

In his arguments during Deleon Guerrero’s preliminary hearing, court-appointed attorney Anthony Aguon said there wasn’t enough evidence to conclude that the residence containing the firearms was Deleon Guerrero’s.

That preliminary hearing was followed by yesterday’s arraignment hearing with Naraja.