Court papers show Manahane’s criminal records

By Ferdie De La Torre
Special to the Saipan Tribune

The missing John G. Manahane had been convicted of burglary on Tinian when he was a teenager and he has a pending burglary case in the CNMI Superior Court, according to court records.

Luis Manahane, father of John Manahane, in an interview with the Saipan Tribune, blamed some people on Tinian who allegedly influenced his 24-year-old son to use illegal drugs and commit burglary. He claimed that his son is a good boy who has no criminal records on Guam.

Court documents show that on Oct. 19, 2000, John Manahane, who was then 18 years old, and one Joseph Cepeda Cruz broke into the apartment of Frank Acfalle on Tinian and stole a .22 rifle, money, jewelry, camera and other items.

John Manahane pleaded guilty to burglary in 2001. Then Superior Court Associate Judge Timothy H. Bellas sentenced him to 10 years in jail, all suspended except for two years.

Bellas gave John Manahane credit for the 25 days he had already served in jail. On May 7, 2001, the defendant started serving the two-year jail term.

On March 13, 2001, Cruz pleaded guilty to burglary and theft. Bellas sentenced him to 15 years in prison, all suspended except for four years.

Court papers also show that in 2004, the Attorney General’s Office charged John Manahane and George Teregeyo Jr. with burglary, theft, and two counts of criminal mischief.

The AGO alleged that the two defendants broke into a car belonging to William Fitzgerald (not the Saipan lawyer) and stole four tires, five compact disc players and a radio on Oct. 12, 2003. The car’s side window was also damaged.

Teregeyo entered a plea agreement with the government. On Aug. 18, 205, he pleaded guilty to one count of criminal mischief.

Associate Judge David Wiseman sentenced Teregeyo to 30 days imprisonment, all suspended except 11 days. The judge gave the defendant credit for the 11 days he already served in jail.

The records, however, did not show that the case against John Manahane is already closed.

Luis Manahane stated that when his son was in Guam, he was not a troublemaker.

“He was a good boy. He would clean the house, prepare the food when I go to work,” the 48-year-old father recalled.

Luis Manahane said he loved all his 10 children, but he admitted that John is one of his favorites. He said that when he and his wife separated in 1995, it was only John who followed and stayed with him.

Luis Manahane said that since August 2004, he wanted to get John to Redding, California, where he works.

Luis Manahane is on Saipan to follow up the case after his California-based sister informed him in October 2005 about what had reportedly happened to his son.

The Attorney General’s Investigative Unit, with the assistance of the Guam police and the CNMI Department of Public Safety, have been searching for John Manahane, who was said to have been murdered and buried near a cliff line on Saipan.

When contacted by the Saipan Tribune yesterday for an update of the investigation, Joseph Aldan, chief of the AGIU, appealed to witnesses to come forward or call their office. He refused to further comment, saying investigation is ongoing.