Reyes’ sentencing set for June

District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona has adopted the recommendation submitted by Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy accepting Lee Jesse Omar Reyes’ change of plea. She has set the matter for sentencing in June.

Last Tuesday, Reyes went before U Magistrate Judge Kennedy for a change of plea hearing in a case that also involves three others. The group, in this case, is accused of scheming to transport undocumented Chinese nationals to Guam from Saipan by boat.

At the hearing, Reyes told the court that he had read and understood what it means to change his plea. Still, Reyes said, he wants to enter a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

Kennedy found Reyes fully competent to enter a knowing and voluntary plea and said she would recommend to Chief Judge Manglona to accept the plea.

Yesterday Manglona, for her part, adopted the recommendation and has since set a trial date for June 28.

Reyes’ co-defendants in this case are Yan Juan Hu Taitano, Ramon Jose Quitano Sablan, and Maverick Ryan Iguel Marlik.

The three remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them during a previous hearing.

According to the indictment, beginning in or about June 2023, Taitano and Reyes orchestrated a plan to transport a group of nine Chinese nationals from the Northern Mariana Islands to Guam.

To carry out the plan, Taitano and Reyes allegedly hired Sablan and Marlik to captain a small motorboat from Smiling Cove Marina on Saipan to Guam on or about July 9, 2023.

All nine Chinese nationals have been charged separately and have already pleaded guilty.

According to the indictment, the Chinese nationals agreed to pay Taitano and Reyes up to $5,000 per individual.

“On or about July 9, 2023, the defendants arranged for the boat to pick up the Chinese nationals at Smiling Cove Marina with the goal of transporting [them] to Guam. The Chinese nationals met Taitano and Reyes on at least two occasions to make down-payments; part of which…Taitano and Reyes used to purchase the motorboat that was to be used for the trip,” the indictment stated.

“The boat departed Smiling Cove Marina at approximately 9pm with…Sablan and Marlik as well as the nine Chinese national passengers on board. The boat proceeded south toward…Guam,” said the indictment.

However, en route, the boat ran out of fuel and began to drift just before it reached the island of Rota. They all had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.