U.S. Probation Officer Melinda N. Brunson stated that the report she submitted to the U.S. District Court for the NMI regarding 24-year-old Dominic D. Chipwelong is recommended “for informational purposes only and no action be taken at this time.”
Brunson said Chipwelong failed to report to the Marianas Psychiatric Services for a scheduled urinalysis on June 7.
He reported on June 9 for a non-compliance meeting where he submitted to a drug test.
The results of the test were presumptive positive for the presence of marijuana but Chipwelong denied using drugs.
The specimen was sent to the Scientific Testing Laboratory in Virginia for analysis.
Chipwelong returned to the probation office on June 12 and admitted that he smoked marijuana on May 31 at the restroom of the Corrections facility when some men who were smoking marijuana asked him to join them.
He said he could not identify the men who offered him marijuana.
The results from the Scientific Testing Laboratory arrived here on June 17, confirming the presence of marijuana in Chipwelong’s urine sample.
Random tests on Chipwelong for marijuana use conducted on June 13, 18, 19 and 20 also proved positive.
Chipwelong admitted being a chronic marijuana user on a daily basis for seven years.
It was determined that four to six weeks were needed before his system will be free of drugs. He tested negative of marijuana and other illicit substances on June 26.
Chipwelong and his co-defendants James Ochcha, and Masaioshy Daikichi Sallem, were indicted on charges of conspiracy to sell government property and theft of government property in November last year.
Chipwelong was released on June 2, 2008 under several conditions, after posting $5,000 in unsecured bond.
He had to remain in the custody of a court-approved third party custodian and was ordered to surrender his travel documents and not leave Saipan without permission from the court.
He was also prohibited from possessing firearms and other deadly weapon and refrain from use of alcohol, narcotic drug or controlled substance.
The three defendants were charged for stealing portions of the metal lighting units from American Memorial Park and selling them to a recycling center in Nov. 2007.
