ZHONGLI Pang has pled guilty to the charges of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and conspiracy to defraud the United States after admitting that he purchased a boat to transport illegal aliens from the CNMI to Guam.
District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy found that the defendant was fully competent to enter a knowing and voluntary plea.
She vacated the jury trial on April 8 and scheduled Pang’s sentencing for March 11 at 1:30 p.m.
At the court proceedings on Feb. 26, 2025, Pang was represented by attorney Robert Torres, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley appeared for the U.S. government.
O’ Malley informed the court that the U.S. government will not be seeking restitution in the case.
Pang was arrested in Guam on Jan. 27, 2025.
According to the plea agreement, which Pang signed, “In or about June 2024, on Saipan, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), defendant conspired, confederated and agreed with at least one other person to transport Liyan Ma, Jianging Li, Miao Miao Yu, Xiaoling Huang Dongmei Shao, Qingqun Wang, Daihong Wang, Li Li, Xiufen You, Xiaoping Gan Hui Zhao, and Qinglei Cheng by boat from the island of Saipan in the CNMI to the island of Guam, knowing that the purpose and intent was to avoid detection by immigration inspectors and to enter the Territory of Guam at a location other than a designated point of entry.”
The plea agreement also noted that Pang and several others “bought a boat for $33,000 and registered it in defendant’s name for the purpose of transporting…citizens of PRC [who] were in the United States without valid or current immigration status.”
Pang was initially charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and making a false statement.
