Court-appointed defense attorney Joseph James Norita Camacho said his client Wei Lin “very much needed” an investigator to prepare for the preliminary hearing on May 18, as well as trial, if the court determines that the case will proceed to trial.
Camacho said his client is unable to post bail and remains in custody.
“The assistance of an investigator is needed to facilitate additional avenues of investigation inadvertently omitted or not vigorously pursued by the [federal] government,” Camacho said.
The defense, he added, was “particularly concern[ed] with the appearance of racial profiling and the use of the CNMI law enforcement personnel to investigate and enforce federal immigration law and policy, a situation similar to the national controversy happening in Arizona.”
Wei was indicted on two counts of knowingly possessing, obtaining, accepting and receiving a document prescribed by statute or regulation for entry into or as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States, that is, a CNMI driver’s license in his name with an issue date of June 9, 2010, procured through fraud.
The defendant, who was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has denied the charges.
When stopped for a traffic violation on Sept. 7, 2010, Wei told Police Officer Tarimai Joseph K. Yangetmai that he obtained a CNMI driver’s license issued on June 9, 2010 from a Bangladeshi man and paid $350 for it.
The arresting office then referred Wei to ICE.
