Kapileo is 2nd DORE graduate

Norman D. Kapileo, in green robe, poses with three other participants of the Drug Offender Re-entry Program, DORE committee members, and U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona during a session and graduation ceremony in federal court last Thursday. Kapileo, who served a prison term in connection with a bank robbery in 2002, is the second person to graduate from the DORE Program. (Ferdie de la Torre)

A man who served 178 months in prison for a bank robbery on Saipan in 2002 and was placed on three years of supervised release graduated from the federal court’s Drug Offender Re-entry Program last Thursday.

“You are now officially a free man,” U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona told the 44-year-old Norman D. Kapileo during the DORE Program graduation ceremony.

Manglona praised Kapileo for his positive adjustment and for completing the program. She also expressed pride as it was the second month where all four DORE participants have all tested negative for use of illegal drugs.

Manglona said that Kapileo impressed her as he only joined the program in December 2016.

Manglona presented Kapileo with the graduation certificate, in recognition of his successful DORE completion.

Kapileo thanked the court, the DORE team, his employer, and family for supporting him.

Kapileo was resentenced in 2005 to 178 months, followed by three years of supervised release. His term of supervised release started on April 18, 2016 and his projected supervision expiration date is April 17, 2019.

At the ceremony, Juanette David-Atalig of U.S. Probation had Kapileo’s term of supervised release reduced by one year. Manglona granted this.

With the reduction, Kapileo’s supervised release would supposedly end on April 17, 2018. But U.S. probation officer Gregory F. Arriola also asked the court that the case be terminated early.

Arriola said that Kapileo has already served one year and nine months of his supervised release. He noted that Kapileo submitted a DNA sample, satisfied his special assessment fee, is employed, has complied with his substance abuse requirements and has consistently tested negative for the illicit substances and alcohol use.

Manglona granted Arriola’s motion and ordered that Kapileo be discharged from supervision.

Manglona also commended the three other DORE participants—Daniel M. Quitugua, Roque S. Norita, and Ryan T. Babauta—for attending all counseling sessions, drug test dates, and for testing negative for illegal drugs use.

Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer Bob Hajime Deleon Yamagishi was the first to graduate from the program last month. He attended Thursday’s ceremony to show his support.

DORE/Drug Court is a post-incarceration cooperative effort program of the U.S. District Court, U.S. Probation Office, Federal Public Defender, and U.S. Attorney’s Office.

DORE provides treatment and sanction alternatives to address re-integration into the community for non-violent, substance abuse offenders released from federal prison.