Recidivist gets two more convictions

Diego Salas Mundo, reportedly the CNMI’s record holder for having the longest criminal history, added two more criminal convictions to his list.

Mundo, 47, was recently convicted of two counts of theft in two separate cases.

Superior Court Associate Judge Ramona V. Manglona sentenced Mundo to one year in prison, all suspended except for 112 days, for one count of theft.

Manglona sentenced the defendant to one year in prison, all suspended except for 112 days, for another count of theft.

Following a plea agreement, the judge gave the defendant credit for the time he has already served in jail.

The sentences in both cases, Manglona said, shall run concurrently. This means Mundo must serve a total of 112 days in both cases, minus the days he has already spent in jail. He is expected to be released from the Department of Corrections on Jan. 5, 2009, at 8am.

After completing the prison term, the defendant will be placed on 253 days of probation.

The judge ordered Mundo to pay restitution to Luis Salas Camacho in cash equivalent to the price of a car battery or a replacement car battery plus another $1.50 in restitution to Dasom Market.

Manglona required the defendant to pay a $50 court assessment fee, $100 in annual probation service fee, and perform 100 hours of community service.

The sentencing came about after Mundo entered a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to one count of theft each in two cases. The two cases were reportedly his 14th and 15th convictions.

Police arrested Mundo in April for reportedly committing the same offenses that got him into trouble in the past—harassing businesses and their customers.

Police Officer Nicholas C. Leon Guerrero Jr. stated in his report that police officers responded to Dasom Market in Gualo Rai on April 17 at 7:50pm after a report of a disturbance.

Sun Young Kang told police that Mundo had been coming in to her store several times to purchase soju, a Korean liquor. Mundo had been in the store for almost three hours, giving her problems like not leaving her store when told to, asking customers for money, and opening a chocolate cookie package without purchasing the item. Mundo also punched the payphone, damaging it. At the time, he was under the influence of alcohol.

Last September, Mundo was arrested again. This time he stole $50 cash through deception and a truck’s battery worth $80 belonging to apartment owner Luis Camacho.

In February 2007, Superior Court associate judge David A. Wiseman imposed a two-year s prison sentence on Mundo, who pleaded guilty to two other cases.

Court papers showed that in July 2006, the Attorney General’s Office charged Mundo with two counts of forgery, and one count of deception.

In August 2006, the AGO charged the defendant with one count of assault and battery, and one count of assault.

The defendant pleaded guilty to forgery and in the second case to assault and battery.

On Aug. 16, 2006, Mundo struck Noris Omengkar with a can of beer.

In December 2006, Wiseman cited that Mundo has had 21 criminal cases filed in the CNMI over the years. The judge said there were 12 separate convictions and numerous instances of non-compliance with the terms and conditions of probation.

In July 2004, the CNMI Supreme Court affirmed the criminal convictions of Mundo, who had harassed tourists, threatened another man and resisted police arrest at a Tinian restaurant.

In December 2004, Mundo was arrested again for domestic violence.

In August 2006, Mundo was arrested for harassing people and hitting a man with a beer can outside the Hong Kong Store in Garapan.

On July 24, 2006, Mundo was arrested for allegedly harassing employees and customers of a barbecue stand.