The United States Courthouse in Gualo Rai, Saipan.
AFTER failing to appear in court for a Jan. 6, 2025, hearing and failing four urinalysis tests, Kevin Hocog Pangelinan has pled guilty to the charge of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
Pangelinan also admitted violating his pre-trial release conditions by testing positive for use of methamphetamine.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI accepted Pangelinan’s guilty plea and scheduled his sentencing for June 27 at 9 a.m.
Judge Manglona also approved the recommendation of the U.S. Probation Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to detain Pangelinan pending further court proceedings.
Pangelinan’s lawyer, Mark Hanson, argued against detention and for his client’s continued enrollment in a treatment program.
But because of Pangelinan’s continued use of methamphetamine —even after the court already revoked his pretrial release once and even after his enrollment in an in-patient treatment program—Judge Manglona found detention appropriate.
She ordered Pangelinan to be detained for three weeks and released on March 12 at 8 a.m.
“After his release from custody, defendant is subject to the same terms and conditions as his Order Setting Conditions of Release imposed on October 22, 2024,” the judge said before remanding Pangelinan to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
His co-defendants—Steven Villagomez Pangelinan, William J. Cabrera, and Steven Tomokane—who were separately charged, also pled guilty to the charge of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
Cabrera pled guilty on Oct. 1, 2024, and will be sentenced on March 11, 2025, at 9 a.m. Steven Pangelinan pled guilty on Jan. 1, 2025, and will be sentenced on May 16, 2025, at 9 a.m. Tomokane pled guilty on Sept. 10, 2024, and will be sentenced on March 28, 2025, at 9 a.m.
According to the indictment against the defendants, 21 illegal aliens from China paid $4,500 each to be smuggled into Guam by boat.
“Given the number of passengers, two boats operated by four total boat crew (two crew members on each boat) were utilized to facilitate the transport. The boat passage commenced from Saipan at night and took approximately twelve hours to complete the journey of approximately 100 nautical miles (115 statute miles) to Guam. Upon arriving at Ritidian Point on the north shore of Guam, the two boats took turns pulling up to the reef line so the Illegal Aliens could jump off the boat and swim and wade to shore. After dropping off the Illegal Aliens, the two boats departed Guam and returned to the CNMI,” the indictment stated.
The first boat was a 25-foot, 1981 Boston Whaler Frontier operated by William J. Cabrera Jr. and Kevin Pangelinan.
The second boat was an 18-foot, 1996 Mckee Craft Pulse 1800 operated by Steven Villagomez Pangelinan and Steven Chris Tomokane.
