Associate judge David A. Wiseman ordered Lorraine S. Ada to post 10 percent or $200 of the bail in cash and $1,800 in unsecured bond for her temporary liberty.
The Attorney General’s Office through Chief Prosecutor Kevin A. Lynch charged Ada with one count of theft and one count of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds.
If she posts bail, the defendant must obey several conditions including keeping all her appointments with her attorney, not leaving Saipan without permission, returning to court when required and staying away from all airports and seaports. She must not have direct or indirect contact with her former employer.
Assistant Attorney General Brian Gallagher appeared on behalf of the government during yesterday’s bail hearing. The defendant appeared in court without a lawyer.
Wiseman set the preliminary hearing for July 8 and the arraignment for July 13, 2009.
In his affidavit, Detective Joaquin I. Deleon Guerrero said that on Feb. 10, 2009, businessman Tony Pellegrino reported a theft of service complaint against the defendant.
Pelegrino stated that he found out the defendant’s sales was short of $6,028 from Nov. 2008 to Jan. 2009.
When asked what happened to the money, Pelegrino said that the defendant told him she used it on her children and for personal expenses.
Guerrero said Pelegrino learned about the defendant’s failure to remit her sales to accounting on Feb. 10.
The defendant works for Syaqua Aquaculture Co. Inc. owned by Pelegrino.
The information filed in court by the AGO stated that the defendant admitted being ashamed of what she had done.
Pelegrino gave her an ultimatum and told her she could continue working for his company if she would pay back the money she stole through payroll deduction, but if she failed to comply he would report the matter to the police.
Guerrero said that Pelegrino gave the defendant a week off to get her emotions settled and to come back to work on Feb. 9 but the defendant did not report for work on the agreed day.
Guerrero learned that the defendant reported for work on March 7 but she only worked half day and had not come back since.
Based on the reports of the store’s chief accountant, the defendant did not remit $2,840 in cash sales from the customers, and 391 lbs. of pre-packed shrimp worth $3,128 released to her for sale.
