By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
JEWELRY store owners Wilfredo Ching and Violeta M. Centeno have filed a $59,300 claim in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, seeking recovery of jewelry seized from Clarissa Adlawan in a federal money laundering case.
Ching and Centeno, president and corporate secretary of Enhance Pacific Corporation, which operates as Perfectly Set, said many of the confiscated pieces had been consigned to Adlawan for resale. In a letter to Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, they explained that Adlawan befriended Centeno and offered to act as a reseller. However, the arrangement left an unpaid balance supported by ledgers and postdated checks from Adlawan’s company, One Legacy LLC.
Adlawan and her daughter, Giselle Butalid, have pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges. Adlawan admitted guilt to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and money laundering conspiracy, while Butalid pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft, and money laundering conspiracy. Both are scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2026.
Centeno said she attempted to meet with Adlawan after the indictment but was refused. Legal advice suggested that the seized jewelry could be used for bail or restitution and may later be auctioned.
The store owners are asking the court to recognize their claim, stressing that Adlawan has not established ownership of most of the confiscated items.
Enhance Pacific Corporation, a small business specializing in jewelry sales and repairs, has operated in the CNMI since 1988. Ching, 72, and Centeno, 66, said losing the claim would cause significant financial hardship and noted the challenges of pursuing legal remedies without access to free legal services for business disputes.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
