By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

A former employee of the Coastal Resources Management Office indicted for wire fraud says he regrets his failure to pay back the money he borrowed from persons whom the prosecution described as his “victims”
Benny K. Pangelinan, during direct examination by his counsel Joseph Camacho, yesterday testified that he hasn’t paid a single penny of what he owes.
“I wish I could pay them back but I don’t have that money now to make payments,” Pangelinan said during the continuance of his jury trial.
He said he sent the money he borrowed to some friends off-island for supposed investments.
When Camacho asked him if he still believes that these investments are legitimate, Pangelinan said, “I stopped believing in these investments. I thought they were legitimate.”
Pangelinan earlier testified that when he was released from jail, he realized he was being cheated by the persons with whom he was doing business.
Pangelinan claimed he was also a victim in this case.
Pangelinan admitted in court that he wired $10,000 to Coker Kent, $2,000 to Johnson Duke and $4,000 to Maria Key.
He said Kent was soliciting assistance in securing a partner to bring in some money regarding an investment project, while Johnson was soliciting assistance to start a charity program in the Pacific.
Key wanted also to establish a charity foundation, Pangelinan said.
When crossed-examined by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Moore, Pangelinan said he tried but failed to get some money from these people to pay back his debts.
Pangelinan was the only witness that the defense presented.
After his testimony, his lawyer rested their case.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex Munson excused the jurors for a 15-minute morning break and when the trial reconvened later, the closing arguments were heard.
Moore, in his closing argument said Pangelinan defrauded the victims by “lying to them, by not telling them the truth and he committed wire fraud by wiring the money he borrowed.”
Moore said fraud is not about getting rich but about taking other people’s money.
He argued that Pangelinan was dishonest with the people he was dealing with.
Moore said Pangelinan realized already that his “investments” weren’t legitimate but he still continued asking for money from other people.
According to Moore, the evidence shows that Pangelinan is guilty of all five counts of wire fraud.
Camacho, in his closing arguments, said Pangelinan did not deny receiving e-mails from his supposed contacts but denied having a criminal intention to deceive people.
Camacho said it wasn’t Pangelinan’s intention to lie or to deceive the victims.
The lawyer said that his client, too, was a victim and had been deceived by people whom he was doing business with.
Camacho said he wants to know why his client was arrested and not the people who took the money that Pangelinan wired to them..
Camacho said Pangelinan was just relying on the word of his friends when they told him of these investments and promised him money in return.
Camacho said even the victims were also hoping to get a lot of money.
He added it is the burden of the government to bring the proper person for a proper charge.
The government, in its rebuttal, said “there is only one person who is responsible for the crime and that is Pangelinan, because he was the only person who talked to the victims and obtained money from them.”
After the closing arguments, jury instructions followed.
The jurors started deliberating in the afternoon and at 4:30 p.m. they were excused by Munson and instructed to return to the court today to continue their deliberations.