CHIEF Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI sentenced Bonifacio “Boni” Sagana to 24 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to produce fraudulent CNMI driver’s licenses.
After serving his sentence, Sagana will be placed under three years supervised release. He is also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service in lieu of a fine and at the direction of the U.S. Probation Office.
Judge Manglona likewise denied Sagana’s motion for a new trial, adding that she will issue a separate written decision.
Sagana, represented by attorney Richard Miller, informed the court that a motion to remain released will be filed pending appeal.
Judge Manglona ordered the U.S. Probation Office to release Sagana’s passport to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement Removal Operations.
The judge also informed Sagana that he will be charged with a separate crime if he fails to report to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Judge Manglona allowed Sagana to remain released.
According to the judgment order against Sagana, he will be committed to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
At the recommendation of his counsel, Sagana did not address the court, but two of his sons made a statement in open court in support of their father.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Flores recommended that Sagana serve a 37-month prison sentence.
On July 19, 2023, a jury found Sagana guilty of conspiring with Bernadita Zata in producing a fraudulent CNMI driver’s license.
According to the prosecution: “The true extent of the fraudulent driver’s license scheme perpetuated at the CNMI Bureau of Motor Vehicles by Sagana is unknown. But it is clear, at least, that defendant specifically helped foreign nationals without immigration status obtain a driver’s license on eight occasions. It should be noted, however, that these foreign nationals reached out to defendant for assistance because defendant already had the reputation of a trusted ‘street broker’ of fraudulent licenses for the Filipino community on the island of Saipan.”
Citing “bad publicity,” Sagana, through his attorney, asked the federal court for a new trial.
Miller said Sagana’s “Sixth Amendment right to trial by an impartial jury was violated by pervasive and false pretrial publicity, in this small community of the Northern Mariana Islands, that Mr. Sagana had fled Saipan before he could be arrested.”
