Sagana sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment

Bonifacio “Boni” V. Sagana, who had been unanimously found guilty of conspiring with Bernadita Zata to illegally produce a CNMI driver’s license, was sentenced to 24 months in prison yesterday.

Following an over three-hour long sentencing hearing, District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona sentenced Sagana, 58, to 24 months with credit for time served, followed by a term of three years of supervised release.

Sagana, who had relocated to Wisconsin but was brought back to the CNMI to face federal charges, was allowed to remain under conditional release until he is placed in one of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ facilities.

Sagana’s sentence includes 50 hours of community service.

“Accordingly, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3583, the Mandatory Conditions are to be imposed immediately. Defendant must perform 50 hours of community service in lieu of a fine and at the direction of the U.S. Probation Office. Defendant shall pay a special assessment fee of $100 to be paid immediately after sentencing. Court waived the fine,” said Manglona.

According to court documents, the U.S. District Court for the NMI issued an arrest warrant for Sagana following a grand jury indictment back on Jan. 31, on the charge of conspiring with others to unlawfully produce a CNMI driver’s license.

However, Sagana left the CNMI before he could be arrested and was only taken into custody last May 16 in Wisconsin.

Sagana was allegedly identified by other defendants facing the same charges as the person who arranged for them to fraudulently obtain a CNMI driver’s license using a counterfeit U.S. immigration visa number.

According to documents from the Eastern District Court of Wisconsin, Sagana, a U.S. permanent resident, appeared at an initial hearing on May 16, before judge James R. Sickel.

The charge against Sagana is punishable by up to a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.