HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A Chinese boater pleaded guilty to charges related to his illegal arrival on the island in June 2022.
Fu Jun Zhai appeared in the Superior Court of Guam on Tuesday morning for a change of plea hearing related to his illegal arrival in Guam by boat from Saipan June 29, 2022.
According to court documents, Zhai arrived at Gun Beach and offloaded several Chinese nationals. Zhai was believed to have piloted the boat, which, after their arrival, was left behind while the passengers made their way to hotels.
Zhai was charged for allegedly failing to notify the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency before arriving, failing to provide a Customs manifest and allowing the unloading of passengers without Customs’ approval, documents state.
Zhai, with the help of a Chinese interpreter, pleaded guilty to the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of one year in prison. However, in line with the terms of his plea agreement, Zhai received a one-year suspended sentence, meaning Zhai will be on probation for one year.
Zhai will have to follow court-ordered conditions, such as paying fines and fees, community service and checking in with his probation officer once a month.
Boaters
Zhai was one of eight other Chinese boaters arrested and charged in connection to their alleged unlawful arrivals in 2022.
Court documents state the illegal entry suspects operated boats purchased between $20,000 and $30,000 and arrived in areas that include Ritidian Point, Tanguisson Beach and Hagåtña Boat Basin, with several other individuals accompanying them.
Some of the defendants said they came to Guam for work but said they did not know anyone on the island.
According to Post files, two other Chinese boaters, Ruigang Li and Zhicong Huang, pleaded guilty in their respective cases in November 2023.
Li and Huang’s plea agreements allowed for the pair to be sentenced to one year in prison, all of which were suspended.
The north entrance of the Guam Judicial Center on Feb. 12, 2024, in Hagåtña.
