CHIEF Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI has approved the request of Vickilyn Manglona Teregeyo “to possess and use a breast pump while in the Saipan Department of Corrections to supply breast milk for her newly born baby.”
“To ensure the safety of her baby, however, this privilege is conditioned on Teregeyo submitting to random urinalysis drug testing and not testing positive, including presumptive positive, for any unauthorized controlled substances,” Judge Manglona added.
She likewise authorized the U.S. Probation Office to conduct random urinalysis drug testing on Teregeyo no more than eight times per month for this purpose.
“Any positive result or attempt to obstruct, delay, or tamper with the testing methods will result in the revocation of defendant Teregeyo’s privilege to possess and use a breast pump while in [Corrections],” the judge added.
The court received an inquiry on May 18, 2022 about Teregeyo’s potential use of a breast pump in Corrections to supply milk for her newly born baby; and, in light of her history of substance abuse, if substance abuse testing would be possible while she is in Corrections.
The U.S. Marshals Service said the Department of Corrections could permit Teregeyo to possess and use a breast pump if the U.S. Marshals permitted it and the court ordered it.
On May 19, 2022, the court held an in-chambers video teleconference with representatives from the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Probation Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the defendant’s counsel, Richard Miller.
The court notified them that it would permit the defendant to use a breast pump.
Teregeyo made the request a day or two after giving birth.
During the last term of her pregnancy, Teregeyo, through her attorney, asked for compassionate release, but this was denied by Judge Manglona who said that the defendant “has not demonstrated extraordinary and compelling reasons for compassionate release, and that her history with methamphetamine-use rather demonstrates that she poses a danger to the safety of her soon-to-be-born baby.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Garthe Backe had informed the court that methamphetamine was found inside the jail cell of Teregeyo on March 27, 2022.
Teregeyo was convicted on Guam for the offense of drug user in possession of firearm and ammunition, and was allowed by the federal court system to serve her probation in the CNMI.
She was sentenced by Guam District Court Chief Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood on May 24, 2019 to time served, 12 months and 18 days, with a three-year term of supervised release.
In March 2022, Judge Manglona revoked the supervised release of Teregeyo who admitted that she had used methamphetamine.
Judge Manglona sentenced Teregeyo to serve a term of three months imprisonment, followed by three months of home confinement/detention with electronic location monitoring as a special condition of supervised release, and followed by 27 months of supervised release.
