By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
VENERANDO Aquino Martin was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in federal prison for visa fraud, closing a case in which prosecutors said he submitted fraudulent immigration applications for himself and more than 240 others.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI ordered Martin to serve the term with credit for time served, followed by one year of supervised release. He must also complete 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 special assessment.
The court also ordered forfeiture of assets tied to the offenses, or substitute property if the original assets cannot be recovered.
Martin, 56, a Philippine national, was allowed to remain free on release and will self-surrender once notified by the U.S. Marshals Service. He was represented at sentencing by attorney Mark Scoggins. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth Backe appeared for the federal government.
Martin pleaded guilty on Nov. 26 to two counts of visa fraud. He was initially indicted on five counts, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Prosecutors said Martin submitted fraudulent applications under the C16 eligibility category, reserved for individuals who have lived continuously in the United States since before Jan. 1, 1972. Investigators said he filed more than 100 Form I-765 applications between June and November 2024, falsely claiming C16 eligibility, and that a total of 242 applications listed the same Saipan mailing address linked to him.
According to the plea agreement, Martin “knowingly possessed, obtained, accepted, or received” employment authorization documents he knew were procured through false statements or fraud. Five individuals were specifically identified as having received EADs under the scheme.
Homeland Security Investigations-Saipan began looking into the case after receiving tips in August 2024 from independent sources, including USCIS, about suspicious filings. Records showed Martin first entered the United States in 2000, contradicting the continuous-presence requirement he claimed on his own applications.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
