BERNADITA Antoni Zata will serve a year on probation for conspiracy to unlawfully produce an identification document — a CNMI driver’s license.
At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday before Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI, Zata appeared out of custody and was represented by attorney Robert T. Torres.
In sentencing Zata, the judge said the defendant “shall pay a special assessment fee of $100 to be paid immediately after sentencing. The defendant must [also] perform 40 hours of community service in lieu of a fine and at the direction of the U.S. Probation Office.”
The U.S. Probation Office informed the court that Zata’s passport will be surrendered to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The judge said if Zata obtains an Employment Authorization Document, the court will waive the community service hours to allow her to work.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albert Flores Jr. and Ashley Kost appeared for the federal government.
Zata was one of the key witnesses who testified in the jury trial of Bonifacio “Boni” Sagana. In July 2023, a jury found him guilty of conspiring with Zata in producing a fake CNMI driver’s license.
In Sept. 2021, Zata pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce an identification document.
According to court documents, on Feb. 16, 2017, Zata conspired and agreed with another person, identified as B.S., to produce a CNMI driver’s license.
