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12-day sentence for ex-BMV staff in driver’s license scam
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Posted on Jun 28 2011
The Superior Court yesterday slapped a 12-day prison term on a former employee of the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles who conspired with an alleged overstaying foreign national to illegally issue CNMI driver’s licenses.
Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja sentenced Dereck Robert Dueñas to a year in prison, all suspended except for 12 days, for misconduct in public office.
The 32-year-old Dueñas was given credit for the 12 days he had already spent in jail, which means he will no longer serve further prison time.
He was placed on one year of probation and required to pay a $500 fine, $100 probation fee, and $25 court assessment fee. He was also ordered to undergo counseling evaluation at the Community Guidance Center.
He was allowed, however, to leave for Seattle this year to attend to the medical treatment of his mother.
Dueñas, who appeared in court with court-appointed counsel, Steven Pixley, refused to speak to the media after the hearing.
The Office of the Attorney General had charged Dueñas with four counts of bribery, one count of conspiracy, and one count of misconduct in public office. He pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office as part of a plea deal. The remaining charges were dropped.
Dueñas’ co-defendant, Dong Hyen Kim, had also entered a guilty plea. He will be sentenced next month.
A police detective stated in his report that Dueñas and Kim conspired to help some driver’s license applicants pass written and actual driving tests in exchange for a fee. Dueñas was a driver’s license examiner at BMV.
The investigation began when an anonymous caller informed the Office of Public Auditor on May 5, 2009, about the scam. Police arrested Duenas and Kim in June 2009.
Investigation showed that Kim, who allegedly has an illegal immigration status since 2002, would bring first-time driver’s license applicants to BMV and charge an average of $350 per client. Kim would then pay Dueñas $30 to $100 to help his clients pass the written and driving tests.
Dueñas would also fail other customers and accept $40 to $150 in exchange for passing them.
