1 of alleged victims in CW-1 case testifies

One of the alleged victims in the CW-1 scam testified yesterday in the ongoing jury trial of five defendants in the U.S. District Court for the NMI.

Mohammad Tazizul Islam testified how Zeaur Rahman Dalu, his former childhood friend and classmate in Bangladesh, recruited him to come to Saipan in exchange for a large amount of money.

Dalu is among the six defendants in this case. He had already pleaded guilty. The remaining defendants on trial are TBK Auto Shop owner David Trung Quoc Phan, Phan’s fiancée Analyn Nunez, Muksedur Rahman, Rahman’s wife Shahinur Akter, and Md. Rafiqul Islam.

Witness Mohammad Tazizul Islam will continue his testimony today, Wednesday, at 8am.

Aside from witness Islam, the U.S. government also called to the witness stand yesterday U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services California Service Center senior immigration officer Monica Verma and Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations special agent Michael Del Rosario Lansangan.

At direct examination conducted by assistant U.S. attorney James Benedetto, witness Islam said he used to operate a rental car business in Bangladesh.

He said Dalu told him in Bangladesh that he could help him go to America or Saipan to work for 150,000 in Bangladeshi Taka a month.

Dalu allegedly told him and that he could also get his wife and children.

Islam said Dalu told him that on Saipan they would both operate a rental car business.

He said Dalu told him to pay a large amount of money in exchange for getting a job on Saipan.

Islam said he talked with his family and they decided to sell his car to raise money. He then renewed his expired passport.

Islam said he was asked to pay 57,000 Taka to Dalu’s mother, Jamela Khatun, in Bangladesh.

He said Dalu went back to Saipan and that it took nine months to get his visa.

When Dalu returned to Bangladesh, he asked him who would process his papers to come to Saipan, and that Dalu said he handed his papers to defendant Rahman.

He said Dalu asked for more money.

Islam said he raised more money with the help of his uncle, his father, and by selling his wife’s jewelry that he gave during their wedding.

Islam said it was one and a half months later after he made such payment when his contract papers arrived in Bangladesh.

He said Dalu then went back to Saipan.

He said he was concerned with the contract papers as it’s in English and that his signature was already there or pre-signed.

Senior immigration officer Verma basically testified on some documents in this case that she reviewed and her talks with assistant U.S. attorney Benedetto about the case.

Verma said the consulate office will notify USCIS if there is a fraudulent type of documents or fraudulent indicators, for further action.

Verma said to her knowledge, TBK Auto Cares, is not in the USCIS’ debarred employers’ list.

Defendant Phan owns TBK.

HSI special agent Lansangan testified he is the co-case agent in this case.

Lansangan said he first to know about the case in early September 2016 when DHS resident agent-in-charge Mark Yamanaka and HIS Task Force Officer Jesse Dubrall received information from a lawyer about complainants.

He said two of the complaining individuals initially met with Yamanaka.

Lansangan said after the interview, they then reviewed the cellphones of some complainants.

He said he participated in the interviews of the workers conducted by Yamanaka and Dubrall.

He said based on their interview, they identified defendant Rahman as the “originator” in the scheme.

He said the interview was around in mid-October 2016.

Lansangan said they were able to identify Curtwill Corp as one petitioner for CW-1 and TBK Auto Cares or United Brother as the other petitioner.

Lansangan said there were six total workers petitioned by TBK from Bangladesh.

He said Curtwill petitioned over 400 workers for CW-1 permits.

Lansangan said he was the primary agent in the case against Arlene Hart, who owns and is the president of Curtwill.

Hart was charged in separate case and pleaded guilty.

Lansangan said during their raid at TBK on March 10, 2017, he met its administrative officer, Nenita Batuigas.

He said they also came across bank receipts showing that that complaining workers had paid money to some individuals to get jobs on Saipan.

He said the workers came from Bangladesh and they paid large amount of money for recruitment fee, but found “little to no work” on Saipan,

Upon defendant Rahman’s counsel Robert Torres’ question, Lansangan identified the lawyer who brought the complaining 14 individuals as Pamela Brown.

Lansangan said to his knowledge, there was no mention about a promise about a “green card” for the workers.

He said certain workers admitted in fact they were not truthful.

Lansangan said not any of those 14 was prosecuted criminally.

He said he assisted the 14 in their applications for parole in place so they can stay legally in the CNMI while their case was being investigated.

Not all of them received parole, so Lansangan said he applied continued presence for a temporary immigration status for the complaining workers so they could cooperate with the U.S. government in the investigation.

He said some of them are working now.

On assistant U.S. attorney Eric O’Malley’s question, Lansangan said the continued presence is used as an investigative tool to allow their witnesses to remain in the U.S. or CNMI.

He agreed with defense counsel Bruce Berline, counsel for defendant Rafiqul Islam, that he did not go to Bangladesh to conduct investigation and that he also did not make such request.