By Gina Tabonares
Variety News Staff

THE trial of former Department of Labor administrator Linda San Nicolas will begin on Sept. 19, Superior Court Judge Arthur Barcinas ordered yesterday.
San Nicolas, 49, was previously assigned at the Department of Labor’s Alien Labor Processing and Certification Division.
She was charged with theft of property as a second-degree felony with a special allegation of crime against the community, issuance of dishonored checks as a third-degree felony, misapplications of entrusted funds, and official misconduct as misdemeanors after pocketing $7,000 cash intended for seven Filipino workers.
She was indicted by a Superior Court grand jury on July 5, 2006.
Prior to her indictment, San Nicolas was a subject of an investigation by the Guam Police Department.
The owner of Guam Construction Company, Byong H. Kwang, gave the $7,000 cash to San Nicolas as part of a settlement agreement with seven H2 workers who reportedly ran away.
San Nicolas, however, failed to give the money to the Filipino workers and failed to return the money to the company as she earlier promised.
Guam Construction Co. counsel David Lujan earlier said San Nicolas met with Kang and other Labor officials on Feb. 1, 2006 to discuss the situation of the seven runaway workers.
After San Nicolas informed him that the workers were willing to return to the Philippines provided they were given cash and airfares, Kang gave the administrator the $7,000 for safekeeping.