SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho has denied the request of Assistant Attorney General James Robert Kingman to reschedule the bench trial of Chief of Parole Nick Reyes.
Kingman, in his motion for continuance, said, “The reason for the continuance is newly discovered evidence requiring investigation that may affect trial preparation and plea negotiation.”
Reyes, through attorney Joaquin Torres, has requested “an order to vacate jury trial and order setting a bench trial.” Judge Camacho granted the motion, and vacated the jury trial set for April 22. He then set a bench trial for April 22 at 10 a.m.
“The Government shall provide the Defense with discovery no later than March 29, 2024,” the judge said in an order he issued after a hearing on Wednesday, March 20.
Reyes is accused of committing forgery “as defined by 6 CMC §1701, and made punishable by 6 CMC §3202(c) by imprisonment for not more than 10 years and a fine of not more than $50,000.”
According to the prosecution, on or about December 20, 2023,” Reyes forged a request for personnel action “by altering the face to change the term of employment from 30 days to one year….”
Reyes also “altered a writing of another, to wit a Request for Personnel Action signed by the Governor of the Commonwealth, by altering the face to change the term of employment from 30 days to one year,” the prosecution added.
Moreover, Reyes “made, completed, executed, authenticated, issued or transferred a writing that purported to be the act of another, to wit the Governor of the Commonwealth, who did not authorize the act, by altering the face of a Request for Personnel Action, to change the term of employment from 30 days to one year,” the prosecution stated.
In a separate case, Reyes and co-defendant Chuilian Fu, owner of F&S Corporation, were charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, and one count of theft by deception.
The jury trial for that case is scheduled for June 3 at 9 a.m.
