THE Office of the Attorney General has charged Chief Parole Officer Nick Masga Reyes with one count of misconduct in public office and four counts of forgery.
Superior Court Clerk of Court Patrick Diaz issued the penal summons on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
Reyes was summoned to appear before a Superior Court judge on March 4, 2024, at 9 a.m. in courtroom 202A.
“If you do not appear, an application may be made for the issuance of a warrant for your arrest,” Diaz said.
“You are entitled to be represented by a lawyer. If you are unable to afford a lawyer, you may be entitled to the services of an appointed lawyer at no expense to you. To apply for the services, please contact the Office of Probation at 236-9865/70,” Diaz added.
According to the information filed by Assistant Attorney General James Robert Kingman, “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 December 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.”
Reyes declined to comment.
