Previous Story
Ex-Rota finance chief pleads guilty to embezzling funds
|
Posted on Sep 15 2017
A former Rota resident director for Finance pleaded guilty yesterday to embezzling between $15,000 and $20,000 in government funds—a felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Vivian Ogo Hocog, who is also a former acting Rota Municipality treasurer, pleaded guilty to theft.
Under the plea agreement the 55-year-old Hocog signed, the sentence will be between zero and five years imprisonment.
She will be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2018, at 10:30am at the Rota Courthouse.
Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja presided over the case. Assistant attorney general Heather P. Barcinas prosecuted. Charles McDonald is the court-appointed counsel for Hocog.
The government had charged Hocog with theft and misconduct in public office. With the plea deal, the remaining charge of misconduct was dropped.
Between July 2015 and May 2016 on Rota, Hocog stole property belonging to the CNMI Rota Mayor’s Office by diverting monies from the CNMI government for her own personal use. The money was taken from miscellaneous and municipal treasurer accounts.
Hocog was arrested on Rota in September 2016. The CNMI Office of the Public Auditor investigated the case. She subsequently posted bail.
Among the allegations was that Hocog used Rota Municipal Treasurer checks to buy cases of beer for her own benefit and to play poker. She also allegedly forged the signature of Lt. Gov. Victor B. Hocog’s son, Victor Val, on a business license application for VAL’s Enterprise.
OPA investigator Juan M. Santos stated in his report that the investigation began when an anonymous caller gave information on July 8, 2016, that Hocog abused and misused funds under the Rota Imprest Funds and the Rota Municipal Treasurer Account for her own personal gain.
Hocog would allegedly write Rota Municipal Treasurer checks to “cash” in a co-worker’s name, family’s names, or her boyfriend’s name.
The checks were used at several stores and poker establishments on Rota and at one store on Saipan.
