Students at MHS know thieves quickly dump stolen items at one of Saipan’s convenient 24-hour pawnshops that litter Beach and Middle Road. There is NO benefit to Saipan from pawnshops.
CNMI pawnshops buy stolen goods and ship it abroad to be liquidated because the goods heisted are too hot to sell in our small market. Pawnshops are one of our most visible industries on an island dependant on tourism. This is a huge problem. How long can we justify this fact? We are allowing a handful of alien “investors” to operate organized theft rings. When a tourist is robbed, word gets out quickly and loudly with the Google Internet megaphone. Our reputation gets tarnished in perpetuity. No overpaid PR firm can whitewash that damage. The end of the pawnshops would end the easy access to a “fence” and reduce the lure of thievery.
A theft ring of pawn shops, which must including a shipping company/companies (unless they thinks we are manufacturing used golf clubs, TV’s, stereos and jewelry in the NMI), may have resulted in another death. Committing a felony that results in death is the definition of felony murder. In my opinion, gangsters here are guilty of receiving stolen goods, income tax evasion, international shipment of stolen goods, and now felony murder and this warrants involvement by the FBI.
If our Legislature wants to help local kids in the Northern Marianas, they will ban pawnshops. If our Legislature is too weak or not capable, I would then ask our local law enforcement to put them out of business as the Saipan police could do it in a week if allowed. We must demand customs and ports authorities explain how in the world they are allowing containers of stolen goods to be shipped from Saipan. Next, U.S. immigration should intercede in the CNMI prior to June 1, 2009 for public safety. Lastly, they must also enforce U.S. investor visa law ($500,000 minimum investment) and deport all “alien investors/gangsters” operating criminal businesses, including, but not limited to pawnshops, in the commonwealth.
This is my request for an investigation and intervention by the FBI in this ongoing criminal conspiracy.
RON HODGES
Puerto Rico, Saipan
