4 nabbed in extortion case

Police arrested on Friday four persons who allegedly conspired in extorting $500 cash from a man and his girlfriend in exchange for dropping a counter criminal complaint filed against the couple.

Jin Qing alias Ah Ray, Ye Mei Luo alias Bai Bai Wen, He Jin Li, and Zhi Bin Guan were apprehended near the entrance of Hyatt Regecy Saipan in Garapan. The four were detained for extortion, kidnapping, and conspiracy.

Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo imposed a $100,000 cash bail each for the temporary release of Jin and Ye, and $25,000 cash each for He and Zhi.

A bail hearing was set yesterday afternoon for the defendants before Associate Judge David A. Wiseman.

Detective Christopher Leon Guerrero stated in court papers that in July 2005, the victims filed a complaint of assault and battery against Ye and another person.
Ye, however, filed a counter-complaint against the victims. She then later demanded payment in exchange for disregarding her counter-complaint, according to Leon Guerrero.

The victims were frightened by the demands and sought police’s protection.

Leon Guerrero said Jin asked that the victims gave him $500 by last Friday between 12pm to 1pm.

On Friday at 12:15pm, Leon Guerrero said he was with the victims when the latter’s cellphone rang.

In that conversation, Jin demanded that in five minutes the victims should call for him to pick up the money.

Leon Guerrero and other police units conducted surveillance on the meeting.

At 12:55pm, the four suspects on board a Toyota Corolla with license plate ADX-762 drove toward a parking lot near the pavilion at Micro Beach.

Jin and Ye got out from the car and both approached the victims within the pavilion. When the victim explained that he got only $200, Jin got mad and asked if he was fooling around with him.

The victim stated he could produce the remaining $300 in the next couple of days.

Jin told him that he can’t leave and directed his girlfriend to go and borrow money.

The girlfriend left and later returned with the money. When the $500 was given, Jin told the victims that the case “is now clear.”

Defendants Jin and Ye walked back to their car. The police officers then stopped the vehicle near the entrance of Hyatt.

He, the driver of the car, and Zhi, who was on the rear passenger seat, were also arrested.

Police said they recovered the victims’ $500 under the cover of the front passenger’s seat.