Leyda Ada appeals conviction, sentence

Leyda I. Ada is appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit her conviction of perjury and sentence of two years and three months imprisonment.

Ada, through counsel Mark B. Hanson, on Friday notified the U.S. District Court for the NMI of her appeal to the Ninth Circuit.

Ada is appealing for the Ninth Circuit to reverse her conviction and sentence.

The defendant is also appealing to reverse the District Court’s denial of her motion for judgment of acquittal.

Ada is seeking the reversal of the District Court’s rulings on her objections to the presentence investigation report, including the findings and the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines’ application.

Last Tuesday, U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona slapped Ada with a sentence of two years and three months imprisonment.

Ada was allowed her continued release pending the designation of her federal prison facility. She was required to call the U.S. Marshal Service thrice a week to check if there is already available federal prison facility for her.

Last June 26, a federal jury reached a verdict, acquitting Ada of the charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, but finding her guilty as to the crime of perjury.

The 12 jurors found Ada guilty of perjury when she signed “no” to the question in the “CJA 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.

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 the Commonwealth Health Center.

Ada’s husband, Melvin Ada, 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. Last December, he was slapped with a sentence of 12.7 years imprisonment.