Salas is being held on the charge of one count of Hobbs Act Extortion “while acting under color of official right.”
He asked money from an owner of a local printing business, the prosecution stated.
Visiting Judge Philip M. Pro of Nevada granted the motion for detention hearing filed yesterday by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley for the 42-year-old Salas.
O’Malley asked the court that Salas “be held without bond.”
O’Malley said the case involves “a serious risk that the person will obstruct or attempt to obstruct justice, or attempt to threaten, injure or intimidate a prospective witness or juror.”
He said no condition or combination of conditions will “reasonably assure the safety of the community or any other person” if Salas is released.
Judge Pro remanded Salas to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the defendant’s initial appearance in federal court yesterday.
The court said Salas, who earns $45,000 a year, is entitled to a court-appointed attorney.
He was represented by court-appointed attorney Joseph Horey.
In his affidavit, FBI special agent Haejun Park, who arrested Salas, said their source contacted the FBI after the DPW employee demanded money.
“In this investigation, I have been working with an individual who voluntarily came forward to the FBI to report information on a corrupt public official,” Park said.
Investigation on Salas’s activities covered “the past several months,” Park said.
“Salas had been demanding money from the source, in exchange for not imposing alleged building code violation fines,” Park said.
Beginning in June 2010, several telephone conversations between the source and Salas were recorded by the FBI.
The conversations “discussed details of the payment, the amount of the payment, location of meeting locations for the payment, and Salas’ promise to dismiss the reports noting the potential building code violation once payment was received,” Park said.
On July 6, FBI agents conducted video and audio surveillance of the pre-arranged meeting between the source and Salas in the parking lot of the Bank of Hawaii building.
Park said Salas arrived in his CNMI government vehicle and entered the source’s vehicle.
Salas departed the scene after getting $100 cash, Park said.
Salas told the source the $100 was only an initial payment, and the balance of $100 must be paid once he returned from a trip to Los Angeles, California, Park said.
Once he arrived from his off-island trip, Salas again called the source and reiterated their previous agreement to settle the remaining balance, Park said.
On Friday, Salas and the source met again at the same location.
FBI agents conducted video and audio surveillance of the source giving the pre-recorded $100 bill to Salas.
“Once payment was made, FBI agents effected the arrest of Salas as he was attempting to drive away from the scene. During the arrest, in plain view, a hundred dollar bill was visible in the center console area of Salas’s vehicle,” Park said.
Upon closer examination of the bill, Park said the money seized from Salas’s vehicle matched the pre-recorded $100 bill.
