Deleon Guerrero out of BMV

Juana Deleon Guerrero

The former director of the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Juana Deleon Guerrero, is no longer employed with the department, it was learned yesterday.

During a status conference in the ongoing license fraud case against Deleon Guerrero yesterday, the former BMV chief informed U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona that she is no longer employed with the department. It was earlier reported that she had just been placed on an indefinite administrative leave.

The disclosure came after the court addressed whether or not Deleon Guerrero qualifies for a court-appointed counsel—a lawyer paid for by the court.

“Court addressed whether defendant qualifies for court-appointed counsel. Defendant reported to the court that the defendant is no longer employed at Department of Public Safety and is unable to afford retained counsel,” states the status conference minutes.

In response, the court encouraged Deleon Guerrero to hire a personal lawyer while providing the court with an updated financial record. Deleon Guerrero was ordered to update her financial affidavit with the assistance of the U.S. Probation Office.

Manglona has set a status conference on April 19, at 1pm to discuss Deleon Guerrero’s updated financial record and to further discuss the former director’s representation in the court proceedings.

During her initial appearance and arraignment last March, Deleon Guerrero, through attorney Robert Torres, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring with others to unlawfully produce an identification document.

During the hearing, Deleon Guerrero was questioned about her eligibility for a court-appointed counsel and she was found non-indigent. Non-indigent means the defendant is financially capable of hiring her own lawyer.

According to DPS, Deleon Guerrero has since been placed on indefinite administrative leave following the issuance of the indictment against her.

Back in March, assistant U.S. attorney Albert Flores Jr. filed the indictment against Deleon Guerrero in the U.S. District Court for the NMI on a charge of conspiring with others to unlawfully produce an identification document.

According to the indictment, Deleon Guerrero conspired with Li Yongde, also known as Ivan, from about Sept. 1, 2021, through about Oct. 31, 2022, to unlawfully produce a CNMI driver’s license.

The indictment comes after the recent raid the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted on the bureau.

Back in December 2022, FBI agents raided BMV and the CNMI Department of Public Safety’s central office. FBI agents showed up unannounced at BMV and DPS central office in Susupe last Dec. 17, 2022, to carry out a search warrant issued for both offices.