James Ochcha appeared for the change of plea proceedings with attorney Robert Torres.
The court accepted the plea and plea agreement after finding that the defendant was fully competent to enter a voluntary plea.
U.S. District Court for NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson set a hearing for July 3 at 10 a.m. and scheduled the sentencing for Oct. 27.
Ochcha is allowed to remain at liberty under the terms and conditions set previously.
Ochcha was indicted with Dominic Chipwelong and Masaoishy Daikichi Sallem for conspiracy to sell federal government property and theft of federal government property.
According to the indictment, Ochcha and his co-defendants committed an offense against the U.S. by conspiring with one another to steal and sell without authority metal lighting units which are federal government property from Nov. 1 to 7, 2007.
The metal lighting units were property of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service.
The metal lighting units carried an estimated value of more than $1,000.
Ochcha was also indicted separately for destruction of veteran memorials.
The indictment stated that on or about Nov. 1 and 7, Ochcha unlawfully destroyed metal lighting units, structures and monuments located at the Court of Honor and on park property near the Beach Road entrance of American Memorial Park, a property which is owned by and under the jurisdiction of the federal government.
The indictment added that Ochcha accompanied Chipwelong on or about the morning of Nov. 1 to sell a portion of the metal lighting units stolen from American Memorial Park to the employees of Huang Zheng recycling center.
