By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

THE former Coastal Resources Management Office employee indicted on five counts of wire fraud was found guilty yesterday by a jury.
After the 12 jurors returned the verdict early in the afternoon, U.S. District Court for NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson set Benny K. Pangelinan’s sentencing for April 17 at 9 a.m.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Moore asked the court to revoke Pangelinan’s bail and remand him to the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service, saying he posed a danger to the community.
Moore said they received information that Pangelinan had continued to solicit funds eight weeks before the jury trial.
The defendant’s counsel, Joseph James Camacho, opposed the motion, which Munson granted.
“I do find him posing a danger to the community,” the judge said.
Moore declined to comment on the verdict but when asked what the maximum sentence should be, he replied, “25 years.”
Camacho said he and his client will discuss their options.
The jury trial started on Monday and was concluded on Wednesday morning.
The government presented eight witnesses, including the victims, while Pangelinan was the sole defense witness.
Pangelinan 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.
Cabrera owns Cabrera Water Company while Sablan is part-owner of Sablan Hardware.
During the trial, Pangelinan admitted borrowing money from the victims.
He was arrested on June 15, 2006 and indicted for wire fraud.
The superseding indictment stated that he borrowed $5,800 from Cabrera and promised to pay her $20,000.
Days later, he contacted Cabrera and was able to borrow another $25,000.
Adachi lent him $15,000 on May 16, 2006.
Pangelinan borrowed $12,000 from Sablan on May 2006 who then lent another $1,600 a few weeks later. Pangelinan wired these sums off-island.
He told the court that he sent the money he borrowed to some friends off-island for supposed investments.