Ada acquitted of conspiracy to commit money laundering

A federal jury reached a verdict on Friday, acquitting Leyda I. Ada of the charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, but finding her guilty as to the crime of perjury.

Ada remained calm when a court staff read the verdict at 11:09am. When she emerged from the courtroom after the hearing, Ada, however, was seen wiping her tears. Her parents and family members followed her as she entered her vehicle.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona set the sentencing hearing for Nov. 13, 2015 at 9am.

Perjury has a maximum prison term of five years, Saipan Tribune learned.

The conspiracy and money laundering charges, to which Ada were found not guilty, each carry a maximum prison term of 20 years.

Manglona granted defense attorney Mark Hanson’s request to allow Ada’s continued release until the sentencing date. Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe, as counsel for the U.S. government, did not object to the continued release.

Hanson and Ada refused to comment to the media. The jury foreperson also refused to comment. It is not clear yet whether the prosecution will issue a press statement.

The 12 jurors find Ada guilty of perjury when she signed “no” to the question in a form if she has any cash on hand or money in savings or checking accounts.

In order to determine whether Ada could afford her own lawyer when she was arrested, she was required by the court to truthfully complete a financial affidavit.

In the paragraph entitled “Employment,” Ada also checked the “no” box indicating that she was not employed.

According to the indictment, Ada’s statements were false because she knew that she had $4,000 in cash at the time in her personal clothing drawer at her house and had access to and was an authorized user of at least two bank accounts at First Hawaiian Bank.

With respect to the conspiracy to commit money laundering, the indictment alleged that immediately after Ada’s husband, Melvin, stopped reporting to work at the Commonwealth Health Center on July 5, 2011, he and Ada, assisted by others, conducted a series of financial transactions to deal the proceeds derived from health care fraud and embezzlement.

Between July 5, 2011 and Aug. 11, 2011, the Ada couple allegedly closed out six bank accounts at First Hawaiian Bank, Bank of Guam, and Bank Pacific, but not before withdrawing and spending at least $75,000 in funds.

On Aug. 1, 2011, Melvin transferred and attempted to transfer title in four vehicles one to Ada and three to her immediate relatives, all for no consideration.

On Aug. 10, 2011, Melvin transferred his business licenses to Island Trendz and Blaze N Entertainment to Ada, who, in turn, transferred the licenses to a corporation controlled by her immediate relatives on Sept. 1, 2011.

On money laundering, Ada allegedly withdrew $17,334.61 from her personal savings account, which she knew to have been procured by health care theft and embezzlement.

The jurors began their deliberations on Wednesday afternoon.

In the U.S. government’s closing arguments, Backe said the key issue in this case is Ada’s knowledge in her husband Melvin’s scheme to perpetrate healthcare fraud exceeding $1.7 million.

In Ada’s closing arguments, Hanson said in this case, since Ada is the wife of Melvin, she got to be guilty.

Hanson said no person, even Ada, knew that Melvin was stealing close to $2 million from Finance, through the Commonwealth Health Center.

The prosecution called a total of 31 witnesses in the trial that began last June 1. The defense called three witnesses.

The Ada couple invoked their right to remain silent and not to testify in court.

Ada used to be a sales representative for Midwest Medical Supply Co. Inc., a Missouri-based company that had supplied dialysis consumables and equipment to CHC.

The original indictment charged the Ada couple with 59 counts.

Melvin is a former employee of the Commonwealth Health Center. He pleaded guilty to 56 charges for misappropriating and diverting CNMI Treasury checks made payable to a medical supplier company totaling over $1.7 million. His sentencing will be on Aug. 21, 2015 at 10:30am.