Woman in document fraud gets 90-day jail term

One of the eight persons arrested last year for alleged involvement in bribery and a conspiracy to forge documents submitted at the Department of Labor has entered a guilty plea and was ordered to spend 90 days in prison.

Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman sentenced Teresita Deleon Guerrero to one year imprisonment, all suspended except for 90 days, for one count of document fraud.

The 51-year-old Deleon Guerrero was given credit for the time she already spent in jail. She is not eligible for parole, according to Wiseman.

The judge ordered the defendant to start serving the jail term at the Department of Corrections on March 25, 2009, at 8am. She will be released on June 23, 2009, at 8am.

Wiseman required Deleon Guerrero to write a letter of apology to the Division of Immigration, Labor, and the CNMI citizens, to be published in local newspapers.

Deleon Guerrero was directed to pay restitution to the victim(s) in an amount to be determined by the court based on recommendation by the Office of Adult Probation.

The defendant was ordered to pay a $500 fine, $25 court assessment fee, plus probation fee.

Wiseman set a review hearing for Sept. 16, 2009, to determine if Deleon Guerrero complies with all the terms and conditions of the sentence.

In April 2008, the Attorney General’s Office charged Deleon Guerrero with two counts of document fraud, and three counts of conspiracy to commit document fraud.

Deleon Guerrero and counsel, Edward Arriola Sr., entered a plea agreement with the government represented by assistant attorney General Joseph J. Przyuski.

Last Wednesday, Deleon Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of document fraud, a misdemeanor offense. The government agreed to dismiss the remaining charges.

According to the factual basis of the agreement, on March 26, 2008, the defendant fabricated a false job certification for Raquel Ramas, also known as Anna Marie Dela Cruz Yambao, in the CNMI to circumvent the labor and immigration laws of the Commonwealth.

Court records show that Deleon Guerrero used to be president/secretary of ALT International Corp. Commerce records indicate that ALT was then authorized to conduct businesses that include document handling.

Among the eight persons arrested in April 2008 in connection with the case were two then Labor employees.