Ogumoro’s ex-cop girlfriend, her brother are arrested too

Police have arrested the girlfriend of former Department of Public Safety deputy commissioner Ambrosio T. Ogumoro and her brother on corruption charges.

DPS acting spokesman Sgt. Thomas Blas Jr. said yesterday that Ogumoro, 57, was arrested for misconduct in public office, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and removal of government property.

Katherine M. Manglona, 43, a former police officer, was arrested for theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition.

Herman M. Manglona, 45, was arrested for receiving stolen property and conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition.

Ogumoro and the Manglonas are currently in jail at the Department of Corrections. Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo issued the arrest warrants and imposed a $5,000 cash bail for each.

The three are expected to be taken to Superior Court today, Wednesday, for their initial court appearance.

Blas said that members of the CNMI Public Corruption and White Collar Crimes Task Force, with law enforcement tactical support from the DPS’ Special Enforcement Action Section, arrested Ogumoro and Katherine Manglona at Smiling Cove Marina on Monday at 7:17pm.

Blas said the arrests were carried out without incident but Ogumoro, allegedly speaking in a loud and angry tone, threatened to sue the law enforcement officers and reminded them to do their jobs.

DPS Boating Safety officers then transported the arresting officers to Tinian, where they served the arrest warrant on Herman Manglona at a relative’s house in Carolina Heights yesterday at 9:40am. The officers then brought Herman Manglona to Saipan via a DPS boat.

Blas said DPS aided the Office of the Public Auditor in the investigation.

DPS, however, deferred to OPA for comments about details of the investigation.

Sources, however, disclosed that there is one case against Ogumoro and Katherine Manglona, while a separate case is against Ogumoro and Herman Manglona.

Ogumoro and Katherine Manglona were allegedly using a couple of computers or laptops belonging to DPS at their True North Bar and Grill in Garapan.

Ogumoro and Herman Manglona, on the other hand, allegedly conspired to fix a DPS car and sell it as “scrap,” sources said.

The theft of government property allegedly occurred when Ogumoro served as deputy commissioner and acting commissioner at DPS.

In a statement yesterday, DPS Commissioner James C. Deleon Guerrero said there were no special procedures implemented in Ogumoro’s arrest.

However, given Ogumoro’s criminal history, he is considered a high-risk offender and so special precautions were undertaken, Deleon Guerrero said.

“The fact that he is a former DPS official does not and will not warrant any special circumstance or treatment on the part of participating law enforcement agencies,” Deleon Guerrero said.

He said DPS will not disclose how many law enforcement officers participated in the operation in order to avoid compromising future high-risk offender apprehension missions.

“These individuals are not employees of the DPS and therefore the DPS will take no further action than our department’s continued cooperation and participation with activities being carried out by the [Public Corruption and White Collar Crimes Task Force],” he said.

The task force is primarily composed of law enforcement investigative personnel employed by DPS and OPA.

In March 2013, police handed Ogumoro a termination letter as DPS deputy commissioner and was subsequently placed under house arrest in connection with the charges that he shielded then-attorney general Edward Buckingham from being served with penal summons.

Ogumoro has a pending criminal case after OPA charged him with 15 criminal offenses for his role in, among other things, shielding Buckingham in August 2012.