Yesterday, U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson sentenced him to 24 months imprisonment after he admitted to have violated his supervised release.
“Just say no to any criminal act,” and “do what is right and act good” while in prison and after he returns to the community, Munson told Celis, who now has a 10-year criminal history.
The court said Celis should obtain his GED while in prison; undergo 500-hour drug counseling program; undergo any vocational or technical training available; receive any counseling deemed appropriate; attend Bible study; and be placed in a prison facility in Oregon, “if available.”
The court then remanded Celis to the U.S. Marshals’ custody.
Munson took note of Celis’s previous statement to a federal probation officer that he wanted to “stab someone,” while in the custody of the Department of Corrections if he was not sent to a federal prison.
“I am sorry for all the trouble I did while I’m locked up. I am confused. I don’t want to go back to Saipan. My history is denying me [jobs]. There’s no future on Saipan,” Celis told the court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly McCallum said Celis’s “behavior [has] escalated.”
But Celis’s attorney Steven Pixley said his client has “changed his behavior [while] in custody.”
Celis, who was arrested on Oct. 7, was detained due to the danger he posed to the community and flight risk.
Federal Probation Officer Melinda Brunson earlier reported to the federal court that on Oct. 9, Celis called her up from Corrections and informed her that he would “stab someone” if he was not sent to a federal prison.
On Oct. 10, Brunson said, Celis slapped an inmate and assaulted another inmate three days later.
Celis was placed in solitary confinement for 30 days and his telephone use was restricted, Brunson said.
He was later arrested by federal agents for violating his probation.
The Superior Court ordered Celis’s arrest on Oct. 8 in connection with the Sadog Tasi snatching incident, but he was already in federal custody.
When arrested, Celis had marijuana leaves in his possession and admitted to have used controlled substances.
