A Corrections officer escorts Raymond DLG King to a bail hearing on Monday.
Photo by Bryan Manabat
RAYMOND DLG King was charged with conspiracy and trafficking in controlled substances in connection with two monitored buy-walk operations conducted by agents of the CNMI Drug Enforcement Task Force.
King, 60, appeared in the custody of the Department of Corrections before Superior Court Judge Joseph N. Camacho for a bail hearing on Monday. He was represented by court-appointed attorney Stephen Nutting, while Assistant Attorney General Heather Barcinas appeared for the government.
Judge Camacho set King’s bail at $25,000 cash. After the hearing, the defendant was remanded to Corrections and ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. and arraignment on Sept. 15 at 9 a.m.
According to the complaint, DETF conducted two buy-walk operations, one on Feb. 21, 2025, and another on March 4, 2025. On both occasions, a cooperating source purchased $50 worth of methamphetamine from King, with the involvement of James Sasamoto. The substance was field-tested and confirmed positive for methamphetamine.
Sasamoto, 54, was charged in a separate case (CR 25-005) with conspiracy, possession, and trafficking of methamphetamine.
The buy-walk operations, which were monitored by DETF agents, showed both King and Sasamoto interacting and transacting with a cooperating source.
DETF Officer Noel Aniol Igisaiar, in his complaint and affidavit supporting the arrest warrant for King, stated that King was previously arrested on April 17, 2025, for drug charges.
According to DETF, King had agreed to become a cooperating defendant to provide information on other drug distributors and drug users on Saipan. He was released on his own recognizance subject to certain conditions.
Igisaiar said King assisted DETF in a controlled buy-walk operation.
Since then, King has not provided substantial assistance or accurate information to law enforcement, violating the terms of the stipulation, Igisaiar added.
