Associate Judge David A. Wiseman sentenced 35-year-old Ashik Uzzaman Khan to one year imprisonment, all suspended except for 120 days and with credit for time served. He was also placed on three years probation and was ordered to comply with several conditions set by the court.
These include seeking a full time employment, undergoing counseling, writing an apology letter and staying away from the victim, and obeying all federal and CNMI laws.
He was ordered not to leave the CNMI and pay a fine and assessment fee of $125.
Khan is ordered to report to the Department of Corrections on Oct. 15, 2008.
Khan appeared in court with his court-appointed counsel, Assistant Public Defender Joaquin Torres. The government was represented by Assistant Attorney General Rebecca Warfield.
Khan entered into a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to one count of assault and battery.
The Commonwealth agreed to dismiss the charge of assault with a deadly weapon but told the court that the defendant should serve the sentence and comply with the conditions.
The charges against Khan stemmed from the affidavit filed by Detective Peter A. Aldan.
He stated that the Department of Public Safety received a call from a man who reported that somebody hit him with a machete in the parking lot of Pangelinan’s apartments in China Town at 1:12 a.m. on Jan. 25, 2008.
It was learned that the defendant, a Muslim, starting joking about the Hindu religion of his neighbor when they were at a party in the apartment of Mohammed Islam. This triggered an argument.
A fight ensued between the defendant and the victim.
The affidavit stated that the defendant pulled out a machete and attacked the victim while the others in the room tried to stop the defendant.
