Local court to drop charges vs convicted hostage-takers • Another convict gets 15 years

The local court is expected to drop other criminal charges against the convicted hostage-takers to enable them serve their sentences in federal prison, US Asst. Atty. David Wood said Friday.

One of the hostage-takers, Arceo Busto, was sentenced by the federal court on Friday to 15 years behind bars.

Busto was the fifth to be sentenced by US District Judge Alex Munson in connection with the jail takeover that rocked Saipan in the morning of March 7.

Wood said dismissing the local charges against the hostage-takers will benefit the CNMI government since it would not have to continue using the taxpayers’ money to finance their meals and other expenses while in jail.

“It’s like running concurrent sentences, which probably people would see as a just situation,” Wood said. “Many of them would be doing much longer sentences than they have to locally. In fact, most of them are.”

Another attorney, who asked not to be identified, said dismissal of local charges is part of an agreement being worked out between local and federal law enforcement officials.

“This arrangement would be good both for the CNMI and the United States as it would spare both governments from possible expenses to be incurred from sending them back and forth to Saipan and the mainland US where they would be serving their term,” the source said.

Busto’s co-defendants, Vicente Aldan, Sheldon Yano and Edwin Blas, were sentenced by the federal court on Thursday.

They earlier pled guilty to charges of hostage-taking, possession of firearm, and conspiracy to bring a firearm into the detention cell.

The four, along with several others, were charged as a result of the 14-hour hostage drama at the detention center in Susupe, where the rioters terrorized their fellow inmates by firing a gun and holding some of them hostage. It was also reported that one of the inmates was sodomized.

Aldan, who was convicted of second degree murder in the local court, was sentenced to 21 years.

Blas, who was convicted of attempted rape, was given 15 years.

Yano, convicted of assault and battery, will spend 10 years behind bars.

Last July, the group’s leader, William Sablan, was given a 21-year prison term. The CNMI Superior Court eventually dismissed other criminal charges against him.

Hostage-taking is a federal offense that carries a punishment of life imprisonment. However, the five were imposed less severe punishment because they cooperated with law enforcers in the investigation and resolution of the case, which was part of their plea agreement with the government.

Aside from federal charges, Sablan, Blas, Aldan, Yano, and Busto were charged with escape in the Superior Court in connection with the post-Valentine jailbreak this year.
Jeffrey Celis and Ryan Babauta, who had also admitted participation in the prison siege, are awaiting sentencing. They were also among the eight inmates who escaped from the detention cell. (MCM)