FBI special agent, some ‘nominees’ take witness stand

Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Joseph William McDoulett testified yesterday in the ongoing jury trial in federal court of former U.S. Army Reserve member Jordan M. Jucutan.

The prosecution also called to the witness stand some of the 38 who were allegedly nominated by Jucutan to join the U.S. Army Reserves.

Assistant U.S. attorney Russell Lorfing called FBI special agent McDoulett to the witness stand after William Stewart, a retired U.S. Marine Corps. officer who served as deputy program for Document & Packaging Brothers Inc. (Docupak), completed his testimony.

Docupak was a contractor tasked to administer the Army Reserve Recruiting Assistant Program (AR-RAP).

McDoulett, the case agent in Jucutan’s case, said he first learned about defendant’s scheme when the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) brought a case in Guam in October 2014.

McDoulett said CID’s concern was that they believe that some individuals received payments from the AR-RAP for their role as Recruiting Assistants through fraud.

He said investigation showed that AR-RAP procedures were not followed.

McDoulett explained how the AR-RAP worked.

He disclosed that Jucutan nominated 38 people and that they focused their investigation only on four people where they believed their investigation is most effective.

Of the nominated 38 people, only 15 were allegedly nominated with the consent of the future soldiers.

Jucutan allegedly received $17,000 of total compensation after nine of his nominees signed enlistment papers and shipped to boot camp.

McDoulett said they chose to focus on the four people, where they believed the scheme was egregious.

The special agent said the scheme involved filling the gaps in the AR-RAP process with false information.

He said Jucutan’s objective of the scheme was to get paid for nomination.

McDoulett said Jucutan got paid for nominating the four persons—Elfleda Castro, Jacob Lizama, Ronnel Gamboa, and Diana Garton.

He said Jucutan inputted the information and Docupak received the information.

The agent said he personally interviewed the four and others out of 38 nominees.

McDoulett said he did not interview Jucutan, but other FBI and CID investigators did.

After McDoulett, Lorfing called Jeffrey Raymond Bacani, Benjamin Paul Taisacan Manglona, Archibald Ajoste, and Nazario Omar Ajoste.

When Saipan Tribune left the courtroom late afternoon, Nazario Ajoste was still on the witness stand.

Bacani testified, among other things, that Jucutan spoke to him about joining the Army Reserve and that at that time he was interested in joining the Army.

Bacani eventually enlisted in the Army Reserves. He then became a Recruiting Agent and actually recruited his two friends and got paid for it.

Bacani described the assistance he received from Jucutan to join the Army Reserve as “not whole lot.”

“He just told me kind of what to expect,” he said.

Benjamin Manglona, a firefighter, said that in 2007 he was interested in joining the Army Reserve, but he passed the test only in his third attempt.

Manglona said he met Jucutan at the Army Reserve Center in Puerto Rico, where Jucutan provided him tips on how to pass the test.

He said Jucutan called him that he passed the test and he will be going to Guam for a physical.

Manglona said Jucutan asked for his Social Security and other personal information that are needed for his Guam physical test.

Manglona said a day before his departure to Guam, he received a call that he had problem with his test.

He said he was so upset and just forgot about his desire to join the Army Reserve.

Manglona said at that time he blamed everyone and the Army system.

Manglona said he was not aware that Jucutan nominated him to the Army Reserve and that the defendant used his Social Security number.

He said Jucutan never told him that he got money from recruiting him.

Archibal Ajoste said Jucutan was his high school classmate and that he was not interested in joining the Army and in fact wanted to join the Air Force.

Ajoste said he and Jucutan never discussed about joining the Army. He said he is not aware that Jucutan nominated him for the Army and that he did not give him his Social Security and other personal information.