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Man in plot to steal lighting units from AMP gets 4-month sentence
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Posted on Oct 27 2008
The federal court yesterday slapped a four-month prison term on a man who was involved in a conspiracy to steal portions of metal lighting units at the American Memorial Park.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson sentenced James Ochcha to a total of four months in prison for conspiracy to sell government property and destruction of veterans’ memorials.
Munson ordered the 52-year-old Ochcha to pay jointly with co-defendants Dominic Chipwelong and Masaioshy Daikichi Sallem restitution in the amount of $35,490.
The judge directed the defendant to pay the restitution to the court’s clerk, with the amount to be disbursed to the federal National Parks Service, which manages the American Memorial Park.
Following the completion of his prison term, Ochcha shall be placed on three years of supervised release.
The judge said the defendant, a Chuukese, shall then be delivered to an authorized immigration official for deportation from the CNMI.
Munson also required the defendant to complete 100 hours of community service and to pay a $200 special assessment fee.
He remanded Ochcha to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.
Ochcha, Chipwelong, and Sallem, all Chuukese, were indicted with conspiracy to sell government property and theft of government property.
In addition, Ochcha was charged with destruction of veterans’ memorials.
Chipwelong and Ochcha entered a guilty plea. Chipwelong was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
Last Thursday a federal jury convicted Sallem. His sentencing was set for Jan. 22, 2009.
According to the indictment, on Nov. 1, 2007, Chipwelong and Ochcha sold a portion of metal lighting units stolen from the American Memorial Park to employees of the Huang Zheng Recycling Center.
That same day, Chipwelong and Ochcha returned to the same recycling center and sold another portion of the metal lighting units stolen from the park.
On Nov. 4, 2007, Sallem sold a portion of the metal lighting units to the recycling center. The following day, Chipwelong did the same thing.
Between Nov. 1 to 7, 2007, Ochcha destroyed metal lighting units, structures, and monuments at the Court of Honor located on the park’s property near the Beach Road entrance.
