After hearing from the psychologist, District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona found Kaipat competent to proceed with the sentencing.
She sentenced Kaipat to 46 months or three years and 10 months in prison. In addition, he will serve three years of supervised release after his prison term. Kaipat will also perform 50 hours of community service as part of his sentence unless he will find employment upon completing his prison term.
No treatment facility was recommended for Kaipat at the sentencing.
In 2015, Kaipat was convicted of possessing a stolen firearm and ammunition after burglarizing the house of Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo and stealing a gun.
Kaipat pled guilty to possession of stolen firearm but his sentencing was postponed several times due to his erratic behavior.
On Oct. 19, 2016, Judge Manglona found Kaipat mentally incompetent to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him. On Jan. 23, 2017, he was committed to the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners where he underwent several psychiatric or psychological examinations.
On June 28, 2019, the court received from the medical center a request for an extension of the defendant’s commitment.
The medical center said it found a substantial probability that Kaipat would attain the capacity to proceed in this case with an additional 120 days of further treatment and evaluation.
Judge Manglona extended Kaipat’s treatment to Oct. 21, 2019.
He was sentenced at the competency hearing in federal court on Jan. 3, 2020.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Guam and the NMI, Kaipat burglarized a home on Saipan on Nov. 5, 2015.
“During the course of the crime, he stole a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun, several rounds of ammunition, and other items,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
It added that the “Department of Public Safety investigators obtained surveillance from a nearby grocery store. The footage depicted an individual wearing dark pants and a dark shirt walking in the direction of the residence. DPS canvassed the neighborhood asking residents whether anyone recognized the individual in the surveillance video. Ultimately, someone identified Kaipat as the perpetrator. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives then began a federal investigation.”
In a statement, Shawn N. Anderson, U.S. attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, said: “The results of this case demonstrate the benefits of our local and federal law enforcement partners working together in addressing dangers to our communities. Federal law prohibits the possession of firearms and ammunition under a variety of circumstances, including where the gun itself is stolen. The Department of Justice will continue to focus resources on these prosecutions in an effort to prevent violent crime.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth Backe while Kaipat, who appeared via video teleconference for the sentencing, was represented by attorney Colin Thompson.
