LIANMIN Song, who was arrested for entering Guam illegally by boat, has pled guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
At a change of plea hearing on Jan. 10, 2025, District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy found that Song was fully competent to enter a knowing and voluntary plea.
Judge Kennedy scheduled the defendant’s sentencing for Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. before Designated Judge David O. Carter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley told the court that the U.S. government will not pursue the “aiding and abetting” prong against the defendant and that there is no forfeiture in the matter.
O’Malley said the prosecution does not object to Song’s release pending sentencing, with conditions set by the U.S. Probation Office.
O’Malley also informed the court that there has been a detainer placed on Song by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Removal Office, but that the defendant will not be taken into immigration detention until after he is sentenced.
He noted that Song has pending bench warrants in the local court.
Song’s court-appointed attorney, Joey San Nicolas, confirmed the information regarding the bench warrants, and told the court that he is working with the defendant to resolve those matters.
Judge Kennedy released the defendant pending sentencing subject to certain conditions.
Background
According to the plea agreement, the defendant is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and was in the United States on or about Dec. 9, 2024, without valid or current legal immigration status.
On or about Dec. 9, 2024, Song “knew or recklessly disregarded that Zhaoxiang Cui, Kangle Jiang, Fengguo Fan, Xiaoguang Wang, Hongmei Ding, and Aimin Zhang were citizens of the PRC and were in the United States without valid or current legal immigration status in any part of the United States.”
On or about Dec. 9, 2024, Song “conspired, confederated and agreed with a man on Saipan to transport himself and Zhaoxiang Cui, Kangle Jiang, Fengguo Fan, Xiaoguang Wang, Hongmei Ding, and Aimin Zhang from Saipan in the CNMl to Guam by boat, knowing that the purpose and intent was to avoid detection by law enforcement and to enter the Territory of Guam at a location other than a designated point of entry.”
In or about December 2024, Song “gave an unindicted co-conspirator $6,000 cash as an overt act toward completion of the movement and transportation of illegal aliens, namely [Song], Zhaoxiang Cui, Kangle Jiang, Fengguo Fan, Xiaoguang Wang, Flongmei Ding, and Aimin Zhang.”
On or about Dec. 9, 2024, “defendant boarded a boat on the island of Saipan, in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands, as an overt act toward completion of the movement and transportation of illegal aliens, namely defendant, Zhaoxiang Cui, Kangle Jiang, Fengguo Fan, Xiaoguang Wang, Hongmei Ding, and Aimin Zhang.”
On or about Dec. 10, 2024, Song, “Zhaoxiang Cui, Kangle Jiang, Fengguo Fan, Xiaoguang Wang, Hongmei Ding, and Aimin Zhang arrived in Guam at a place that was not a designated port of entry with the purpose of evading customs and immigration inspectors.”
Aimin Zhang and Hongmei Ding were convicted last year on Saipan for conspiracy to enter Guam illegally by boat and were arrested in Guam for violating their release conditions.
On Sept. 26, 2024, Zhang was convicted of “Count 1: Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(l)(A)(v)(I) and Count 2: Conspiracy to Defraud the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.”
Zhang was sentenced to time served and three-year supervised release.
On Oct. 23, 2024, an amended petition for warrant or summons for offenders under supervision was filed against Zhang. On the same day, a warrant for his arrest was issued by the federal court.
On Dec. 11, 2024, he was arrested in Guam. Subsequently, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Guam and the NMI requested the Guam District Court to issue a writ of removal against Zhang to the NMI.
At an initial hearing on Dec. 20, 2024, Zhang, represented by attorney David Banes, admitted to violating his supervised release conditions.
In a similar case, Hongmei Ding was arrested on Dec. 10, 2024, in Guam for violating her release conditions. Ding was convicted and sentenced in 2023 by the NMI federal court for attempting to enter Guam illegally by boat.
At the hearing on Dec. 20, 2024, Ding, represented by attorney Richard Miller, admitted to violating her supervised release conditions.
No court information was available on co-defendants Kangle Jiang, Zhaoxiang Cui, Fengguo Fan, and Xiaoguang Wang.
