The United States Courthouse in Gualo Rai, Saipan.
THREE Chinese nationals — indicted alongside several others in October 2022 in the District Court for the NMI — have been arrested on Guam.
In Criminal Case 22-00014, Shuyuan Wang and Ying Li were each charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
In a separate case, Criminal Case 22-00015, Xiaohui Zhu was also charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
The three individuals are believed to lack legal immigration status.
After their arrest on Guam in May, the District Court of Guam granted and issued a writ of removal for their transfer to the NMI under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Initially, Wang and Li, through their respective court-appointed attorneys Richard Miller and David Banes, pled not guilty to the charges, prompting Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy to schedule a jury trial for Aug. 12.
But later, Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Flores Jr. informed the court that Wang will plead guilty to the charges and requested a change of plea hearing, which the judge granted.
Wang is scheduled to appear in court for a change of plea hearing today at 3 p.m.
Zhu, represented by attorney Joey McDoulett, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Zhu’s jury trial has been set for Aug. 12
Their other co-defendants have already been convicted and sentenced.
According to the indictment, on or about July 29, 2022, “defendants pooled money together to purchase a boat for $32,000 on the island of Saipan…. The boat, which is approximately 26 feet in length with a white fiberglass hull and motorized propeller, with CNMI boat registration number CM 0057 CP, was used by the eight defendants, and one additional Chinese citizen who did not have lawful immigration status, to complete transportation from the CNMI to Guam on or about July 31, 2022. A boat was used for transportation because the Chinese citizens wanted to avoid immigration processes that [were] anticipated if travel was completed by commercial airplane. Authorities located the boat in the Hagåtña Boat Basin in Guam after it came ashore to Guam from the CNMI with all nine Chinese citizens on July 31, 2022.”
