THE U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has filed a criminal complaint against Hongjie Li, Huaishu Wang, and Yongbing Ni in federal court, charging each of them with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a federally controlled substance, and conspiracy to maintain a drug-involved premises.
The defendants appeared before District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy on Thursday for an initial hearing.
Judge Kennedy scheduled a detention hearing for May 11 at 9 a.m. following a request from Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth Backe.
The court appointed attorney Robert T. Torres to represent Ni; attorney Steven Pixley was court appointed to represent Huaishu Wang, and attorney Janet King also appeared as Wang’s private attorney. The court appointed attorney David G. Banes for Li.
According to the complaint filed by DEA Special Agent Robert DeRocher, on May 2, 2022, CNMI Customs officers searched a U.S. parcel package addressed to CCC Mail Service.
“The package contained two packages of suspected methamphetamine. Package #1 contained approximately 493.4 grams, and Package #2 contained approximately 504 grams. Both packages presumptively tested positive for methamphetamine,” the complaint stated.
CNMI Customs removed the suspected methamphetamine and replaced it with “Sham,” which is a non-controlled substance, DEA stated.
CNMI Customs resealed the package and transferred its custody to a CCC Mail Service representative. Law enforcement agents then maintained surveillance on the package and CCC Mail Service in Garapan.
On the morning of May 3, a Toyota Rav 4 arrived, and a woman, later identified as Hongjie Li, exited the vehicle and went inside CCC Mail Service and took custody of the package. She then walked back to her vehicle, placed the package in the trunk and departed.
Under surveillance Li was seen going to a single-story house in Papago.
Other law enforcement agents arrived moments later and observed a man, later identified as Huaishu Wang, with the package and a knife that he would use to open the package just outside the residence.
Agents detained Li and Wang and secured the area around the house, and while doing so, saw a man sleeping inside the residence, later identified as Yongbing Ni.
Law enforcement officers also observed that three security cameras near the front door were rotating and appeared to be following the presence of officers.
At that time, law enforcement officers made the decision to enter the residence in order to secure it for officer safety, as well as prevent the destruction of evidence.
During the safety sweep, Ni was apprehended inside the residence, and there were, in plain sight, “apparent methamphetamine, plastic baggies, bundles of currency, and sophisticated surveillance cameras with DVR and monitors.”
According to DEA Special Agent Robert DeRocher, “The interior of the house was found to be void of any family photos, or other common items found to personalize a family residence. Most of the furniture was self-constructed for purely utilitarian purposes. There were no plates, cups, silverware, or other common kitchen utensils. The kitchen table was poorly self-constructed. The seat was a wooden bench and a small filthy love seat. A man-size propane tank was in the middle of the living room. Two of the bedrooms contained multiple bottles of what appeared to be urine. Some of the beds did not have common bed frames and were lying directly on the floor. Many of the rooms in the house had no furniture. Multiple rooms had bongs out in the open. The overall condition of the house was obscenely filthy. Based on my training and experience, this house resembled a drug den. Based on my training and experience, I know drug dens often employ people to act as security guards to protect the narcotics.”
Seized from where Ni was sleeping were a “tin foil containing suspected methamphetamine, a bottle with straws used to smoke methamphetamine, and an airsoft pistol.”
In the master bedroom where Wang was staying, law enforcement officers seized the following: “approximately 3,000 empty Ziploc-style baggies; tin foil with suspected methamphetamine; a large undetermined amount of U.S. currency; three airsoft guns; and a black bag that contained 46 Ziploc-style baggies containing suspected methamphetamine that weighed approximately 251 gross grams.”
Seized from where Li slept were approximately 17 grams of suspected methamphetamine found in a small female yellow shirt pocket.
Li told the federal agents that she had been living at the house for approximately six weeks. She said this was the first box that she had picked up for Wang who instructed her how to drive and to make sure no one followed her back to the residence.
Arriving at the Papago residence, Li said she took the box out of the car and placed it on the ground and Wang then picked the box up.
Li admitted helping Wang measure and package methamphetamine for sale.
She said Wang received 200 grams of methamphetamine a few days ago.
According to Li, Wang used coffee filters to change the color of the methamphetamine.
“Based on my training and experience and conversations with other law enforcement officers, I know methamphetamine users will save their urine and concentrate it down and filter out additional methamphetamine,” DEA Special Agent DeRocher said.
As for Wang, DeRocher said he initially told the agent that he was an informant for the police, “and needed to stay in the drug community,” but later admitted that he was no longer working for the police.
Wang said the package — the approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine — was “a small amount,” and he was waiting for a big amount to tell the police.
Wang said he was not allowed to open the box but was supposed to hold it for the “boss.” The identity of the “boss” was not mentioned in the complaint.
“The airsoft guns were for shooting rats and birds,” said Wang who also admitted smoking and selling methamphetamine.
Later, Wang was asked to sign a DEA self-sealing evidence envelope that contained a large amount of money. According to DeRocher, when Wang saw the money, he exclaimed, “Yeah, that’s my money.” But later, Wang he said it was Hongjie Li’s, DeRocher added.
As for Ni, he told the DEA agent that his back hurt and he used methamphetamine for his back, adding that he get meth for free from Wang for helping around the house.
