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7 in prison takeover change plea to guilty
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Posted on May 17 1999
The seven inmates who were charged with hostage taking and other counts of Federal offense during the first prison stand-off in the CNMI last March have all entered into a plea of guilty agreement with the U.S. government.
According to a press statement issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, the plea agreement would reduce the jail term of the takeover leaders to 10 to 23 years from lifetime imprisonment if convicted of the federal charges.
Conspiracy to take hostages and hostage-taking are punishable by life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. While felon in possession of a firearm asks for 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine.
Inmates William C. Sablan, Vicente M. Aldan, Ryan T. Babauta, Arcel L. Basto, Edwin P. Blas, Jeffrey I. Celis and Sheldon Yano pled guilty to taking hostages during the takeover of the Division of Corrections and possessing a firearm.
During their first court appearance in the U.S. District court in March, each one entered a “not guilty” plea.
“Basically, the Federal investigation in this case is completed,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Wood.
The investigation was participated in by officers from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the local Department of Public Safety, U.S. Attorney’s office and the CNMI’s Attorney General’s office.
Findings from the joint-investigation revealed that Chinese and the other inmates who were taken as hostages were personally abused prior to the prison stand-off.
“One victim reported having been sexually molested and other were forced to give massages to the hostage takers. Some of the hostage victims described the gun being placed to their foreheads and dry-fired,” said the press statement.
At the height of the prison stand-off, the Chinese inmates were brutally beaten up and forced at gun point to perform tasks that would facilitate their escape, it added.
