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Suspect in burglary at Govendo’s house is indicted in federal court
A federal grand jury has indicted habitual offender Gilbert Kaipat for alleged possession of a gun and ammunition that he stole from the house of Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo in Dandan.
The indictment charged the 19-year-old Kaipat, also known as Cling Phillip Kaipat, with possession of a stolen firearm and possession of ammunition.
According to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the NMI on Thursday, on Nov. 5, 2015, Kaipat unlawfully possessed a 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol, “which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce” knowing that the firearm was stolen.
The defendant also allegedly possessed a stolen hollow point 9mm round of ammunition.
Kaipat is still under detention after failing to post a $50,000 cash bail in connection with the charges in local court over the burglary at Govendo’s residence.
At the preliminary hearing last month, Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho found probable cause to charge Kaipat with burglary, theft, and criminal mischief.
Police said a surveillance camera at a store near Govendo’s house led to the identification and arrest of Kaipat, who then guided investigators to a trash bin at a bakery where he hid the stolen gun. Detectives recovered the judge’s police-issued 9mm pistol.
Govendo was off-island when the incident happened. His wife discovered the burglary when she returned home from running errands.
Kaipat is a habitual offender who has been arrested several times in the past for various violent crimes.
