Deferred prosecution for Dynasty VIP services chief OK’d

The federal court has ordered that prosecution be deferred for 18 months against Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino VIP services manager George Que.

At a Tuesday hearing, U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona approved the U.S. government’s and Que’s deferred prosecution agreement.

Manglona set a status conference in Que’s case for Feb. 9, 2016.

Que, represented by lawyer Robert Torres, inked the agreement with the U.S government in exchange for the dismissal of the criminal charges against him.

As part of the agreement, the case against Que will be held in abeyance for 18 months. If he complies with the conditions of the agreement, the charges against him will be dropped.

Those conditions include Que acknowledging responsibility for his conduct, agreeing to cooperate with the U.S. government in its investigation, and no longer working in any position in a U.S. financial institution where he would supervise employees responsible for handling currency.

Que, former THDC casino manager Tim Blyth, and Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Ltd, which owns the Dynasty, were charged with engaging in a conspiracy to allow gamblers to conduct transactions involving more than $10,000 without filing the required paperwork with the U.S. government.

The indictment charged Que with one count of conspiracy to cause a financial institution to fail to file a Currency Transaction Report and nine counts of causing a financial institution to fail to file a CTR.

He agreed to pay at least $5,000 as civil monetary penalty.

The prosecution, represented by Assistant U.S. attorney Marivic David, agreed that Que may leave the CNMI and reside outside the U.S. during the 18-month deferred prosecution period.

Should Que breach the agreement, the U.S. government would inform the parties and the court.

Torres said Que has been employed in the CNMI since 2003. He has his family here and has ties to the community.

Que is allowed to travel provided he gives notice to U.S. Probation Office 15 days before doing so.

According to the agreement, during Que’s tenure as VIP services manager between March 1, 2011, and April 24, 2013, Dynasty failed to prepare CTR forms for about $27 million in reportable currency transactions as required by law.

In February, Blyth also entered the same agreement with the U.S. government in exchange for the dismissal of the charges against him.