Arnold Palacios
GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios may be called as a witness in the forgery case against Chief of Parole Nick Reyes.
In a witness list he filed in Superior Court, Assistant Attorney General James Robert Kingman stated, “The Commonwealth may call any or all of the following as witnesses in its case-in-chief. The Government reserves its right to call additional witnesses as necessary, including rebuttal witnesses.”
Besides Palacios, the list includes CNMI Board of Parole members Christopher Leon Guerrero and Lucinda Selepeo, Office of the Attorney General investigator Ikluk Masayos, and Assistant AG Rebecca Wiggins.
Kingman likewise reserved the right to amend the list “to add any [and] all persons not presently known who possess relevant knowledge and whose identity and knowledge become known before and during the trial.”
Following a request from attorney Joaquin Torres, who represents Reyes, Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho vacated the jury trial scheduled for April 22, and instead set a bench trial for the same date.
Torres said his client is waiving his right to a jury trial.
Judge Camacho also scheduled a motion hearing for Wednesday, March 20 at 10 a.m.
According to the information filed by the prosecution, “On or about December 20, 2023, on Saipan…, the defendant…while a public official, to wit Chief Parole Officer, did an illegal act under color of office, to wit, committing the offense of forgery as defined by 6 CMC §1701, as made punishable by 6 CMC §3202(c) by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years and a fine of not more than $50,000.00.”
“On or about December 20, 2023,” the information added, “the defendant…forged a writing which was or purported to be a contract, to wit a Request for Personnel Action, by altering the face to change the term of employment from 30 days to one year, such writing being a contract or other document creating, altering, terminating, or otherwise affecting legal relations, to wit, employment, as made unlawful by 6 CMC §1701(a)(2) and made punishable by 6 CMC §1701(c) by imprisonment of not more than five years.”
“With the intent to defraud or injure the Commonwealth, or with knowledge that he was facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated,” Reyes “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 information added.
“With the intent to defraud or injure the Commonwealth or the CNMI Board of Parole, or with knowledge that he was facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated, [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 information stated.
Moreover, on or about Dec. 29, 2023, Reyes, “with the intent to defraud or injure the Commonwealth or the CNMI Board of Parole, with knowledge that he was facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated, uttered a writing which [he] knew to be forged in a manner specified by 1701(b)(1) or 1701(b)(2), to wit by presenting an altered Request for Personnel Action, a document altered without the authority of the Governor of the Commonwealth, or which purported to be the act of the Governor of the Commonwealth as made unlawful by 6 CMC §1701(b)(3) and made punishable by 6 CMC §1701(c) by imprisonment of not more than five years.”
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.
