Detective takes witness stand in Capt. Ogumoro case hearing

A police detective testified yesterday at a motion hearing in the case against former acting police director Capt. Aniceto T. Ogumoro.

Detective Christopher Leon Guerrero was summoned to the witness stand in connection with Capt. Ogumoro’s motion to suppress evidence.

Attorney Viola Alepuyo, counsel for the defendant, grilled Leon Guerrero about his affidavit of probable cause in support of the issuance of the arrest warrant and search warrant for the police captain.

The detective explained how he got the information about the reported confiscation of 2,763 high-powered rifle ammunition that were seized by CNMI Customs officers in January 1998.

The Customs’ logbook apparently indicated that Aniceto Ogumoro was the intended recipient of the ammunition coming from the U.S. mainland.

Leon Guerrero told Alepuyo that he had learned from an Ogumoro family member about guns being used during shooting practice at the Ogumoro compound on Capitol Hill.

Alepuyo asked the detective if he checked with the Attorney General’s Office about the disposition of the seized ammunitions in 1998, to which Leon Guerrero replied no.

Leon Guerrero stated in his affidavit that they received information that at some point one of Ambrosio Ogumoro’s cargo containers from the U.S. mainland had boxes of illegal high-powered rifles and ammunition.

The detective said that among the discoveries during their assessment at the Ogumoro family’s compound was a cargo container located behind the residence of Aniceto Ogumoro.

Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo then ordered the detective to continue his testimony since it was almost noon at that time. The judge continued the hearing yesterday at 2:30pm.

As of press time, Leon Guerrero was still on the witness stand.

Attorney Stephanie Flores also served as co-counsel for Alepuyo.

Assistant attorney general Kristin St. Peter represented the government. The morning hearing was jampacked with mostly relatives and friends of Aniceto Ogumoro.

Police arrested Aniceto T. Ogumoro in February 2006 after they raided his house on Capitol Hill where they allegedly recovered three rifles and 25 boxes of ammunition.

The arrest of Capt. Ogumoro was made a day after police arrested his brother, Department of Public Safety range master Ambrosio T. Ogumoro, on allegations he beat up his wife and for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunitions.

Police said that during the raid at Capt. Ogumoro’s residence, they recovered a Remington rifle with a weaver scope, a Ruger Mini 14 caliber .223 rifle, and a Colt AR 15 rifle.

Police said they also found 25 boxes (each box containing five rounds) of Winchester super buckshot 12 gauge rounds.

Leon Guerrero said their investigation show that Capt. Ogumoro was never issued a license to possess or carry such firearms and ammunition in the Commonwealth.

The 44-year-old police captain was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a weapon without proper registration, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition.