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Pelisamen’s hotel stay is OK’d due to health issues
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Posted on May 11 2009
The U.S. District Court has allowed controversial former estate administrator Luis Kaipat Pelisamen to stay at a local hotel after the defendant told the court that he has chronic lung disease, heart disease, and diabetes.
U.S. District Court for the NMI chief judge Alex R. Munson amended Pelisamen’s bail conditions on Friday, allowing Pelisamen to stay overnight two nights a week at the Green Hills Hotel in Gualo Rai.
In his request to amend the conditions of his temporary release, the former Kaipat estate administrator stated that his chronic lung disease sometimes causes him to have asthma, especially when the weather is hot, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Pelisamen said his house is not air-conditioned as he has no electric power.
Pelisamen’s daughter has offered to pay for the rent of an air-conditioned room in the evening at the Green Hills Hotel, whenever he has an asthma attack due to the heat at his home.
The bail conditions require Pelisamen to remain at his house from 6pm to 6am.
Pelisamen is facing charges of wire fraud and money laundering. Last week, a hung jury prompted Munson to declare a mistrial in the case.
Pelisamen used to be the administrator of the Kaipat estate. Fugitive lawyer Joseph A. Arriola then served as Pelisamen’s counsel in that probate.
Then Superior Court Associate Judge Lizama kicked out both Pelisamen and Arriola from the estate after finding that some money in the estate were missing.
According to the indictment, Arriola and Pelisamen transferred funds belonging to the Kaipat estate from the Bank of Guam to the Bank of Hawaii on Nov. 28, 2005, thereby causing communications by wire between Saipan and Hawaii.
Pelisamen and Arriola were accused of issuing 66 checks amounting to $219,000 to themselves.
