YONGDE Li, who was charged with conspiracy to unlawfully produce an identification document, to wit, CNMI driver’s licenses, will plead guilty, the prosecution said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Flores Jr. has requested the federal court to set a change of plea hearing for July 11 at 1:30 p.m.
The parties filed a sealed plea agreement with the court on July 3.
Li, who is represented by attorney Janet King, is former Bureau of Motor Vehicles Director Juana Cabrera Leon Guerrero’s co-defendant.
Recently, Leon Guerrero admitted her involvement in the production of fake CNMI driver’s licenses and pled guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully produce an identification document.
District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy has accepted her guilty plea.
According to the prosecution, on or about Jan. 1, 2020, through on or about Dec. 20, 2022, Deleon Guerrero knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with Yongde Li, also known as “Ivan”; fellow BMV employees; CNMI residents without lawful immigration status; and others, to commit an offense against the United States: specifically, to knowingly and without lawful authority produce an identification document — namely, a CNMI driver’s license.
The prohibited production was in or affected interstate or foreign commerce, the prosecution added.
“Specifically, on or about Jan. 1, 2020, through on or about, Dec. 20, 2022, on 50 occasions, defendant knowingly permitted ‘Ivan,’ a citizen of the People’s Republic of China without lawful immigration status in the United States but a resident of the CNMI, to bring other citizens of the PRC and of other nationalities without lawful immigration status in the United States, to the BMV, where those foreign citizens were subsequently issued fraudulent CNMI driver’s licenses,” the prosecution said.
Ivan arrived in the CNMI from the PRC on March 27, 2012, and his legal immigration status expired on March 26, 2013.
“Ivan is well known in the Chinese community of the CNMI as a ‘street broker’ who can assist foreign citizens without lawful immigration status acquire a fraudulent CNMI driver’s license. Foreign citizens without lawful immigration status contact Ivan via the Chinese telecommunications messaging application WeChat and arrange to pay Ivan a street broker fee for assistance. Ivan’s street broker fee for a new license is $1,500 to $1,700, and for a renewal license Ivan charges $300 to $400,” the prosecution said.
Pursuant to CNMI law, 9 CMC § 2202(c), BMV is authorized to charge a person $50 to obtain a CNMI’s driver’s license.
“Ivan would accept street broker payments from foreign citizens and bring them to the BMV where Ivan met with BMV staff, including defendant [Leon Guerrero]. Ivan would assist foreign citizens by interpreting the English language and by submitting driver’s license applications on their behalf that included fraudulent immigration documents,” the prosecution said.
“Defendant was aware when Ivan facilitated these illicit transactions, and defendant directed five members of the staff at the BMV to assist Ivan with fraudulent distribution of CNMI driver’s licenses to foreign citizens without lawful immigration status.
“Defendant communicated directly with Ivan via telecommunications to make appointments or other necessary arrangements to facilitate the fraudulent scheme.
“Defendant was aware [that] staff members of the BMV also communicated with Ivan for the same purpose,” the prosecution said.
Leon Guerrero, for her part, “accepted payments from Ivan, and others, through cash payments of upwards of $500. Leon Guerrero and five other members of the BMV staff were routinely treated to meals bought and paid for by Ivan,” the prosecution added.
“The production of CNMI driver’s licenses affected interstate and foreign commerce because all the document-making implements used to produce the CNMI driver’s licenses were manufactured outside of the CNMI,” the prosecution said.
