Report: 30 named in subpoena

Leaked records suggest that financial transactions between casino operator Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC and a total of 30 individuals are being sought for presentation to a grand jury investigation that has ensnared IPI and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and his family.

An online news outlet, Kandit News Group, reported over the weekend that the IPI records custodian has been commanded to bring all documents pertaining to 30 entities before a federal grand jury—seven of which are individuals who did business as consulting agencies and 21 individuals who are directly named.

A summon refers to an order to appear before a judge or court proceeding. The summons specifically commands the IPI records custodian to present financial transactions between IPI and the mentioned individuals before a grand jury. It was earlier reported that the grand jury will be impaneled in January 2020.

The federal grand jury subpoena attachment commands the IPI records custodian to bring all documents stored in IPI’s main data center related to financial transactions between IPI and Alfred Chi-Yam Yue; Ron Li Anderson; Viola Alepuyo; Marianas Consulting Services LLC; Legend CNMI Realty LLC; Antonio C. Magofna; Diego Benavente and Associates; Blue Continent Communications Inc.; Branda Y. Tenorio dba BTY Consulting Services; Carmen Fernandez; Charles V. Cepeda dba CVC Consulting; Christopher A. Concepcion dba CA Professional Services; David J. Attao dba Dattao Consulting Services; Double Lee Corp.; Felix R. Nogis dba FelNo Consulting Services; Francisco C. Sablan; Grant Gibson; Gregorio M. Camacho dba GMC Consultant Services; Jack Taitague; Pacific Edge Consulting; Jose T. Limes dba J. Limes Consulting Services; Joseph M. Diaz; K. L. Carr Enterprises Inc.; Keli A. Tenorio; Marianas Consultancy Services LLC; Michael W. Dotts; Ni Ming; Serafin A. Camacho; Thomas A. Tebuteb; and TK3 Enterprises LLC.

Yue’s Marianas Consultancy Services LLC was one of the offices that the FBI searched on Saipan in early November 2019, while Saipan Tribune previously reported that Anderson, reportedly the owner of Legend Realty Saipan, left the island for China two days before the FBI searched his office.

Alepuyo is currently a legal counsel of IPI; Kandit News Group reported that she was also allegedly paid $25,000 a month to run Torres’ re-election campaign in 2018.

Former CNMI lieutenant governor Diego Benavente was also listed in the summons, along with current Northern Marianas College board chair Charles Cepeda dba CVC Consulting; former Delta Airlines executive Chris Concepcion dba CA Professional Services; Current Department of Labor director for the Workforce Investment Agency David J. Attao dba Dattao Consulting Services; and former NMC president Carmen Fernandez.

The subpoena further commands the custodian to bring all documents relating to real estate transactions in the CNMI, including purchase agreements, long-term lease agreements, escrow records, title searches, appraisals, and more, including all records relating to fee or commission agreements.

All documents and records stored in IPI’s main data center relating to Billion Ventures (CNMI) Limited and all documents and records stored in IPI relating to Wu Chia-Lien were also included in the summons.