A CO-DEFENDANT of Tomas B. Aldan who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Texas for allegedly conspiring to defraud Bank of Saipan of over $6.6 million has been brought here.
Michael T. Wilson appeared without a lawyer yesterday at 2 p.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Alex R. Munson.
Since Wilson had no attorney, Munson continued the hearing for today at 1 p.m.
The judge set the bail at $250,000 cash and remanded the defendant to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Rice earlier said the FBI arrested Wilson in Plano, Texas last Friday.
Wilson, Aldan and co-defendants Bert Douglas Montgomery and Dusean Berkich were all charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In addition, Wilson was charged with three counts of wire fraud.
Aldan was charged with one count of wire fraud, Montgomery with four counts of wire fraud and Berkich with three counts of wire fraud.
According to court papers filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Smith, Montgomery and Berkich together with other persons fraudulently sought to obtain control of Bank of Saipan last August through Montgomery’s purchase of the majority of the bank’s common stock.
To facilitate their plan “to fraudulently obtain the bank’s money and property,” Montgomery and Berkich “secretly offered money and other things of value to Aldan,” who was then chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Bank of Saipan, court documents said.
The four defendants in carrying out their scheme to defraud, unlawfully obtained money and property from the bank and a bank customer totaling at least $6.6 million, court documents alleged.
