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Convict faces new indictment, this time for labor fraud
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Posted on Oct 11 2011
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
A man who was sentenced Friday to six months in prison for driver’s license fraud is now busy preparing for a “second round” at the federal court where he faces another charge-labor fraud conspiracy.
Shortly after U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona sentenced Wei Lin to six months in the driver’s license fraud case, Lin appeared in court again for his arraignment in the newly filed case.
Lin, a Chinese national, appeared with counsels Joseph Norita Camacho and Michael Norita Evangelista. Assistant U.S. attorney Beverly McCallum represented the U.S. government.
Lin pleaded not guilty to 18 charges relating to allegations that he conspired with other persons to recruit five Chinese nationals from China to the CNMI for employment based on false promises.
Lin’s jury trial will begin on Dec. 12, 2011.
Evangelista compared this new case against his client to a boxing match.
“Round one is finished. I am looking forward to round two,” Evangelista said.
The new indictment alleges that the five Chinese nationals-four females and one male-were promised work visas after arriving on Saipan, salaries of over $1,000 per month, and jobs as a waitress, cleaner, or taxi driver.
According to the indictment filed by assistant U.S. attorney Kirk Schuler, Lin, while in the CNMI, called one or more of the five Chinese nationals in China in July and August of 2010 to encourage them to come to the CNMI.
In August and September 2010, Lin, with help from others, picked up the five at the Saipan International Airport. Shortly after, Lin collected over $4,000 from each of the five Chinese nationals. Lin then made the four Chinese females sign a contract.
In the driver’s license fraud case, although Lin was sentenced to six months in prison on Friday, he was subsequently freed after he was given credit for the time he had already served in jail.
