Man conspires with 2 others to steal park’s metal lighting units

A man has entered a guilty plea in federal court to charges he was engaged in a conspiracy to steal portions of the metal lighting units from the American Memorial Park and selling them to a recycling center.

James Ochcha, 52, pleaded guilty to the indictment which charged him with one count of conspiracy to sell government property and one count of destruction of veterans’ memorials.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson accepted Ochcha’s plea and set the sentencing for Oct. 7, 2008 at 9am.

Munson directed the U.S. Probation Office to prepare a presentence investigation report to be submitted by Sept. 2, 2008.

Last Friday, defense attorney Robert Torres asked the court to temporarily release Ochcha to another person in the absence of the original third-party custodian. The defendant’s original third-party custodian needs to leave the CNMI. Munson found the substitution qualified to be Ochcha’s third-party custodian.

The judge released the defendant under all the previous terms and conditions until the Oct. 7, 2008, sentencing.

Ochcha, Dominic Chipwelong, 24; and Masaioshy Daikichi Sallem, 35; all Chuukese, were indicted with conspiracy to sell government property and theft of government property.

In addition, Ochcha was charged with destruction of a veterans’ memorial.

According to the indictment, in the morning of Nov. 1, 2007, Chipwelong, accompanied by Ochcha, sold a portion of the metal lighting units stolen from the American Memorial Park to the employees of Huang Zheng Recycling Center.

That same day, Chipwelong, accompanied by Ochcha, allegedly sold another portion of the metal lighting units stolen to employees of Huang Zheng Recycling Center.

On Nov. 4, 2007, Sallem allegedly sold a portion of the metal lighting units to employees of same recycling center.

On Nov. 5, 2007, Chipwelong conducted the same transaction with the Huang Zheng Recycling Center.

Two days later, Chipwelong and Ochcha went to Huang Zheng Recycling Center and attempted to sell another portion of the metal lighting units.

Between Nov. 1 to 7, 2007, the three defendants allegedly stole the metal lighting units worth more than $1,000. The units were the property of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

Between Nov. 1 to 7, 2007, Ochcha allegedly destroyed the metal lighting units, structures, and monuments at the Court of Honor located on the Park’s property near the Beach Road entrance.