By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

A former employee of Coastal Resources Management convicted on five counts of wire fraud for obtaining money from other persons on false and fraudulent pretenses has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment.
Benny K. Pangelinan appeared on Tuesday morning before U.S. District Court for NMI Chief Judge Alex Munson who sentenced him to 37 months of imprisonment for five counts of wire fraud.
He said Pangelinan will be placed on supervised release for three years upon his release from the Bureau of Prisons.
Pangelinan was ordered to pay a restitution fee in the amount of $129,250 which will be disbursed to the victims Pang Hong Cabrera, Renato Batallones, Conrad M. Sablan, Sachiko Adachi and Gene Oden.
The court ordered that $30,800 be disbursed to Cabrera; $6,000 to Batallones; $26,700 to Sablan; $15,750 to Adachi and $50,000 to Oden.
The court said that any payments already made to Oden will be deducted.
The court waived all fines after determining that Pangelinan does not have the ability to pay.
The court ordered him to pay a special assessment fee of $100 for each convictions for a total of $5,000.
The court also recommended that Pangelinan participate in the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program while in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons.
Pangelinan was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and comply with all the terms and conditions of his supervised probation.
Pangelinan appeared in court with attorney Joseph Camacho.
The government, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Moore, recommended a sentence of 36 months.
Pangelina was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the hearing.
Pangelinan was found guilty of five counts of wire fraud by a federal jury in January.
He was indicted for obtaining money from businesswoman Pang Hong Cabrera, teacher Sachiko Adachi and businessman Conrad Sablan on false and fraudulent pretenses, presentations and promises.