MINGJIN Jin was indicted on the charge of executing a scheme and artifice to obtain funds from a federally insured bank by means of false or fraudulent pretenses.
According to the indictment, Jin executed the scheme on Jan. 29, 2022 when he used a fraudulent driver’s license in applying to purchase a 2022 Toyota Prius from the Atkins Kroll car dealership.
“This conduct was relied upon by First Hawaiian Bank to finance $30,639 for the vehicle purchase,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Flores Jr.
The U.S. government wants Jin to forfeit “any and all property constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of the offense.”
The initial hearing was scheduled for May 19 at 9:15 a.m. before Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI.
Attorney Steven Pixley was appointed by the court to represent Jin.
Last year, Jin was convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully produce an identification document and was sentenced to one-year probation.
Authorities said he presented a fake driver’s license and a fake vehicle registration during a traffic stop in 2019.
In that case, his term of supervised probation was set to expire on May 27, 2022. As part of the conditions of his probation, he was prohibited to drive a vehicle. In February, a probation officer saw him driving a vehicle.
When he was stopped, Jin handed over an insurance certificate and a certification from Atkins Kroll Saipan indicating that he had purchased the vehicle on Jan. 28, 2022.
Jin’s probation was revoked and he is currently serving a three-month prison sentence. He will be placed on two years of supervised release after he completes the sentence.
Jin entered the CNMI in 1991 as a garment worker, and lost his immigration status in 2019. He has two minor sons who were both born on Saipan.
