By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
PROSECUTORS have expanded charges in a high-profile corruption case, increasing counts against Lt. Gov. Dennis Mendiola, Joey Vincent Dela Cruz, and Justin Paul Mizutani from six in the original filing to 17 in a First Amended Information submitted to Superior Court on Dec. 31.
The original filing in August 2025 accused the three officials of six counts of misconduct in public office and theft tied to misuse of public funds and unauthorized vehicle rentals. The amended filing, ordered by Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho, now includes detailed statutory references, expanded timelines, and quantified losses, alleging a pattern of misconduct stretching from April 2022 to April 2023.
Assistant Attorney General Olga Kelley submitted the amended filing following the court order. It adds specific details such as vehicle models and license plates, exact dates and locations, and quantifies losses to the Commonwealth at more than $61,000 in unpaid rentals, plus thousands in unauthorized shipping costs. Each count cites CNMI statutes and clarifies penalties, including up to 10 years in prison, fines of $50,000, and 10-year bans on government employment.
“Even though the Commonwealth is not required to explain the nature of public funds in the charging documents, the Commonwealth has inquired about the nature of public funds and has received supporting documentation that the public funds misused were CNMI public funds, specifically the CNMI local funds and Homeland Security and Emergency Management local fund,” Kelley wrote.
She also included exhibits of email communications between an Office of the Public Auditor investigator and a Department of Finance staffer clarifying which department or agency controlled the accounts in question.
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.
