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Worker slapped with 5-year term in drug case
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Posted on Nov 03 2005
Saying that illegal drugs have no place in society, Superior Court judge David Wiseman yesterday sentenced a Chinese woman to five years imprisonment for possession of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “ice.”
The judge said Huang Zhao Ju, a 33-year-old worker, would serve the prison term without the possibility of parole. The judge also ordered the immediate deportation of Huang after the defendant completes serving her prison sentence.
Wiseman convicted Huang on two counts of illegal possession of a controlled substance.
Originally, the Attorney General’s Office charged Huang with two counts of drug trafficking, but plea negotiations resulted in the filing of an amended complaint charging Huang with two counts of drug possession instead. Huang pleaded guilty to drug possession charges.
“The court acknowledges the Legislature’s mandate that illegal drugs have no place in our society and those who violate CNMI laws regarding controlled substances should be dealt with harshly,” Wiseman said.
“The defendant in this case is a foreign national or alien, present in the CNMI by way of a privilege granted to her by employment. The CNMI does not welcome those from foreign countries who are allowed the privilege of entering the CNMI and then violate our laws,” the judge said.
Wiseman remanded Huang to the custody of the Department of Corrections. He did not impose a fine on Huang, citing the defendant’s indigency and confinement.
