TWELVE jurors were empaneled Wednesday in the federal trial of three defendants accused of transporting illegal aliens by boat to Guam.
The trial will continue today, Thursday, at 8:15 a.m.
In separate superseding indictments, Hongjiang Yang, Meifang Weng and Xiulan Huang were each charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting transportation of illegal aliens. Each defendant was also charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Earlier, through their respective court-appointed attorneys, Yang, Weng and Huang requested the federal court to dismiss the superseding indictment, saying “it does not allege that each defendant was more than a mere passenger and intended to further the illegal presence of another illegal alien.”
Yang is represented by attorney Richard Miller, Weng is represented by attorney Cong Nie, while Huang is represented by attorney Mark Hanson.
On Aug. 23, 2024, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, but granted their motion to strike the phrases “but were not limited to” in paragraph 4 and “inter alia” in paragraph 5 of the superseding indictments.
Judge Manglona finds that the superseding indictment sufficiently alleges conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, and alleges requisite specific intent for aiding and abetting transportation of illegal aliens.
According to the indictment, “In or about late June or early July 2023, [Yang, Weng, and Huang] and others created, joined, and abetted a scheme to transport eight aliens, as well as Defendant[s], from the District of the Northern Mariana Islands to the Territory of Guam, with the intent that the aliens would reside in Guam, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that seven of the aliens were illegally present in the United States, including in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the eighth alien had no authority to enter or reside in Guam or any part of the United States other than the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.”
Moreover, on or about July 9, 2023, the defendants “combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, and aided and abetted others, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to violate 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(l)(A)(v)(I) and (II), specifically, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(l)(A)(ii), to wit, by agreeing to, and aiding and abetting the transportation of aliens, knowing and in reckless disregard that said aliens were in the United States in violation of law and were not authorized to enter the Territory of Guam, in furtherance of such violation of law, in violation of Title 8, 5 United States Code, Sections 1324(a)(l)(A)(ii), and (v)(I) and (II),” the indictment stated.
The other defendants are Li Xiaohua, Dong Changcai, Wu Yingchun, Kun Gao, Tang Yongbing and Li Kun.
Li Xiaohua pled guilty in Feb. 2024, and was sentenced by designated Judge David O. Carter to one-year probation and 50 hours of community service.
Kun Gao pled guilty on Feb. 22. On March 15, Judge Manglona sentenced him to a term of 30 days imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release.
Li and Gao were also ordered to self deport.
Dong Changcai, Wu Yingchun and Tang Yongbin pled guilty and were sentenced to serve a term of 30 days imprisonment followed by one-year supervised release.
No information about Li Kun was available as of press time Wednesday evening.
