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Man forges housing check of injured man’amko
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed yesterday a 29-day prison term on a man who forged the government housing check in the amount of $104 belonging to his elderly aunt who was in the hospital recovering from injuries due to physical abuse.
Camacho sentenced Fred Takada to the maximum of one-year imprisonment, all suspended except for 29 days, for theft.
Takada, in his 30s and with no prior criminal record, was given credit for 29 days of time served. That means he will no longer serve time in prison.
Takada was placed on one year of supervised probation and required to perform 100 hours of community service, pay $25 in court costs and $100 probation fee.
Takada was ordered to pay $104 in restitution to the victim.
Camacho noted that the defendant forged her signature on the check and that he did cause her injuries.
Takada and his counsel, Robert Myers Jr., signed a plea deal with the government, represented by assistant attorney general Emily Cohen.
According to the factual basis of the plea deal, Takada stole $104 from the victim on Feb. 5, 2015, on Saipan.
Cohen recommended a sentence of nine months in prison. She said that in this case, the victim was in the hospital recovering from the injuries she sustained after being beaten up by her own son.
While the victim was in the hospital, Cohen said, the defendant took her housing check, cashed it, and kept the money.
The prosecutor said the check was the victim’s government housing check.
She said the victim was very ill and is very poor and that Takada preyed on a victim that was already vulnerable because of the abuse she received from someone else.
Cohen said the victim is 63 years old and that the sentence should reflect that Takada has taken advantage of a man’amko.
Myers recommended a probation sentence, arguing that the defendant has no criminal record and that this case is not the typical theft of a lot of money.
Myers said his client has accepted responsibility for what he had done.
