U.S. Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson set Jian Li’s jury trial for May 10, 2010.
Jian Li, who is represented by court appointed-lawyer Joe Hill, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the hearing.
Li and Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s masseuse Qingmei Cheng are facing 22 counts of illegally attempting to bring aliens into the United States through Guam.
The defendant have denied the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Schuler is prosecuting the case.
Cheng had been released after she posted a $1,000 bail and issued a $9,000 unsecured bond.
The court will hear tomorrow the motion to dismiss filed by three other defendants in the case: Shi Guang Li, Yong Jun Li, and Wei Kun Zhong.
They are represented by court-appointed attorneys Bruce Berline, Anthony Long, and Sean Frink.
Regarding Arriola’s case, Munson set the jury trial for May 17, 2010.
Munson earlier denied Arriola’s motion to be released to a third-party custodian, citing the lawyer’s flight risk.
Arriola’s lawyer is attorney Steven Pixley while Schuler is prosecuting the case.
Arriola, who was arrested in the Philippines and extradited to the CNMI, was charged with wire fraud and money laundering for stealing over $600,000 from the Kaipat estate’s account.
Luis Kaipat Pelisamen, Arriola’s co-accused, has been sentenced to five years in prison and was ordered to pay over $600,000 in restitution.
