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Ex-Sgt. Tagabuel pleads guilty
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Posted on Aug 01 2011
Hillary John Tagabuel, a former police sergeant who was recently arrested on allegations that he beat up his girlfriend, pleaded guilty yesterday to the domestic violence case and a car insurance scam.
Tagabuel and counsel Stephen Woodruff signed a plea agreement with the government to resolve the two criminal cases.
Tagabuel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft by deception in the insurance scam case. He pleaded guilty to assault and battery, and criminal mischief in the domestic violence case.
Under the plea agreement, the Office of the Attorney General will recommend a six-year prison term for both cases. Tagabuel agreed to testify in the trial of his co-defendants, Serafin Esperancilla and Yu Jai Feng Cepeda, in the insurance scam case.
Superior Court associate judge Kenneth L. Govendo ordered the U.S. Adult Probation to prepare a pre-sentence investigation report.
No sentencing date was set as the cases against Tagabuel’s co-defendants are still pending.
Tagabuel’s jury trial in the car insurance case was supposed to start yesterday.
Assistant attorney general Shelli Neal appeared for the government.
Police arrested the 40-year-old Tagabuel on July 17 after he slapped his girlfriend on the left and right side of her face at her residence in Koblerville. He also ripped the front door’s screen, damaging the hinges.
In June 2008, Tagabuel was among several persons arrested for their alleged involvement in a car insurance scam. The OAG alleged that Tagabuel and co-defendants Esperancilla and Cepeda falsified information about car crashes to obtain money from insurance companies.
The trial of Esperancilla is scheduled on Aug. 8, 2011, while Cepeda’s is on Aug. 22, 2011.
