XING Rui Gao, the third suspect in the case involving an attempted smuggling of 4.04 lbs. of methamphetamine by mail on June 21, 2022, was arrested on Aug. 31, 2023.
Xing Rui Gao appeared before Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI for an initial hearing on Sept. 1 at 1:30 p.m.
The defendant was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a federally controlled substance. The indictment also included a notice of forfeiture.
At the hearing, the court appointed attorney Richard Miller to represent the defendant, who waived the reading of the charges and of her rights. Mengwei Gai served as interpreter.
The defendant entered a plea of not guilty, which Judge Manglona accepted.
As required by Rule 5(f) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the U.S. government was ordered to produce all exculpatory evidence to the defendant pursuant to Brady v. Maryland and its progeny. Not doing so in a timely manner may result in sanctions, including exclusion of evidence, adverse jury instructions, dismissal of charges and contempt proceedings.
Judge Manglona set the jury trial for Nov. 7, 2023, at 10 am.
The judge likewise set a detention hearing for Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.
The defense will provide any information or material facts that need to be verified by the probation officer to respond to or oppose the motion for order of detention no later than Sept. 6.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Kost and Albert Flores Jr. appeared for the federal government.
According to the complaint against Xing Rui Gao, between June 21, 2022 and June 22, 2022, she conspired and agreed with Chun Yang and Yurong Wang, along with others, to possess methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, with intent to distribute in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(a)(1).
In December 2022, Xing Rui Gao’s co-defendants Chun Yang, 45, and Wang Yurong, 49, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a federally controlled substance.
They will be sentenced on Dec. 6, 2023, at 9 a.m.
According to the complaint against the defendants, on June 21, 2022, CNMI Customs officers searched a parcel at the U.S. Post Office in Chalan Kanoa and discovered suspected methamphetamine.
“Package No. 1 contained approximately 602.6 gross grams. Package No. 2 contained approximately 656.6 gross grams, and Package No. 3 contained approximately 576.3 gross grams. All three packages weighed approximately 1,835.5 gross grams or 4.04 lbs. of suspected methamphetamine,” the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said.
After conducting surveillance of the intended recipient of the parcel addressed to a private mailbox company, Chun Yang and Wang Yurong were arrested.
Court documents did not indicate why Xing Rui Gao was arrested only recently.
