FOLLOWING a series of Drug Enforcement Task Force walk-buy operations in March on Saipan, four men were arrested after they sold methamphetamine or “ice” to police informers.
Jeffery Magofna, 41, Joey Duenas, 42, Franklin C. Palacios, 35, and Jeffery Deleon Guerrero, 47, were each charged with illegal possession of a controlled substance and drug trafficking.
Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio, at a bail hearing on Monday, imposed a $100,000 cash bail on each of the defendants.
After the hearing, Judge Kim-Tenorio remanded the four defendants to the custody of the Department of Corrections and ordered them to return to court for a preliminary hearing on April 20 at 10 a.m., and for an arraignment on April 25 at 9 a.m.
Each defendant was provided a court-appointed lawyer to represent them at the hearing. Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds appeared for the government.
The Department of Public Safety, in a statement Monday, said the defendants were arrested on April 8, 2022.
No other information about the defendants or their cases were available as of press time Monday evening.
Jeff Magofna
Joey Duenas
Franklin Palacios
Jeffery DeLeon Guerrero
