Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly McCallum, who is prosecuting the case, said Ana Maria Villadiego Villegas and Haydn Villegas are “charged with offenses that are part of the same series of acts or transactions, in part, under color of their co-owned remittance company and bank accounts, and their joint bankruptcy action.”
Therefore, McCallum said “the couple could have been charged in one indictment for wire fraud and related charges involving victim Philippine National Bank; they should be tried jointly.”
McCallum further told the court that Mrs. Villegas’ counsel, Mark Scoggins, said his client does not object to the motion, while the counsel for Mr. Villegas, G. Anthony Long, indicated that his client opposes it.
Last December, a grand jury indicted Mr. Villegas on the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Mr. Villegas works with the Transportation Security Administration.
Mr. Villegas and unindicted co-conspirator, Mrs. Villegas, were co-owners of Philippine Express Remittance, the indictment stated.
It added that the two were co-owners of three Saipan bank accounts.
They transmitted remittances from the CNMI to the Philippines by using the services of Philippine National Bank Foreign Exchange, the indictment stated.
This involved some 50 checks in the amount of $109,585.33, the indictment added.
Last July, Armilaine Salamat, the former manager of PNB Express Remittance Center, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. She has yet to be sentenced.
The prosecution and Mr. Villegas have asked the federal court to reschedule the Feb. 28, 2011 jury trial.
The jury trial of Mrs. Villegas has yet to be scheduled.
Salamat will testify in the jury trial of Mrs. Villegas.
The Villegas couple have denied the charges.
