Pregnant inmate’s compassionate release motion opposed

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has opposed the request of an eight-month pregnant inmate for compassionate release, saying she appears to have continued using methamphetamine, or “ice,” even while pregnant.

In a response that assistant U.S. attorney Garth R. Backe submitted to the U.S. District Court for the NMI last Monday, April 25, he asked the court to deny Vickilyn Manglona Teregeyo’s request for compassionate release and pointed out that the court had already considered Teregeyo’s reasons as grounds for compassionate release when it sentenced her to three months imprisonment followed by three months home confinement at a revocation hearing last March 25.

“Since that revocation hearing, there have been no substantial changes to defendant’s circumstances, besides the fact that defendant is closer to her pregnancy due date. Indeed, defendant is actually now in a worse position to request compassionate release because the laboratory analysis of defendant’s urine sample taken at her revocation hearing on March 25, 2022, confirmed she had methamphetamine in her system and methamphetamine was found inside her jail cell on March 27, 2022,” said Backe. “Second, this court should consider what is best for the health and safety of defendant’s unborn child, and not what is most convenient for defendant.”

Backe cited Teregeyo’s Guam case “when her then-attorney filed a motion for temporary release due to her impending pregnancy. The magistrate judge granted the motion over the government’s objection.”

“When [Teregeyo] gave birth, both she and the baby tested positive for methamphetamine. This clearly demonstrates that [Teregeyo]—under almost the exact same circumstances—has no regard for the safety of her unborn child, and that she cannot (and should not) be trusted to comply with any court-imposed conditions of release,” said Backe.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Manglona scheduled to hear Teregeyo’s petition today, April 27 at 8:30am. According to Backe, evidence will be presented that is related to this discovery during the hearing.

Teregeyo had asked the court last April 18 for compassionate release and for her sentence to be modified to home confinement as she is due to give birth soon. She is represented by Richard Miller.

Teregeyo is serving a three-month prison sentence in the CNMI Department of Corrections.
Teregeyo was convicted in Guam for the offense of drug user in possession of a firearm and ammunition, but was allowed by the federal court system to serve her probation—later revoked—in the CNMI.