10-year sentence for drug-dealing couple

The U.S District Court for the NMI has imposed a 10-year prison sentence on a couple who snuck 110.03 methamphetamine or “ice” through the U.S. Postal Service.

Last Friday, District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona Manglona imposed a sentence of 120 months, or 10 years, on Vince Koki Leon Guerrero and his girlfriend, Evelyn Chong Tydingco, for possessing over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

During the sentencing hearing, Manglona, on multiple occasions, compared the couple to the romantic tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet” because of Leon Guerrero’s relentless efforts to incriminate himself further in hopes of a lighter sentence for his girlfriend.

Manglona noted that, although there is no death involved in this case like the original Romeo and Juliet, which ended in the death of the two lovers, she said the lives of both Tydingco and Leon Guerrero will be darkened for a period of time as they serve their sentences. However, Manglona said she is hopeful that the two will emerge from it better equipped to battle their drug addiction and ready to turn their lives around for their family.

While on the stand and was being interviewed regarding text messages that were entered as evidence, Leon Guerrero continuously denied Tydingco’s role as an organizer of the shipment and stated several times that she was just following his orders.

Manglona found the text messages, acquired from Leon Guerrero’s mobile device, incriminating and found that Tydingco played a big role in the shipment as she was the one who negotiated the drug deal in Guam.

Theoretically, for being non-violent offenders, they could have pursued the “safety valve” provision in the Sentencing Reform Act and the United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which allows the court to impose a sentence below the statutory minimum for certain drug offenders. Individuals who qualify for the safety valve are usually nonviolent, non-managerial drug offenders with little or no criminal history.

However, for lying to the court, both individuals in this case were denied the safety valve and were given the statutory minimum penalty for the offense. They will be serving their respective sentences apart and away from their 1-year-old son.

Manglona said Leon Guerrero would have qualified for the safety valve if he had not incriminated himself and had not lied to the court.

Tydingco will be serving her sentence in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in a facility within Seattle, Washington so she can be near her sister who just recently relocated there.

Leon Guerrero will be serving his sentence in a facility that has yet to be determined. But Leon Guerrero requested Manglona to recommend that he serve his time in a facility that allows him to take up a technical trade skill that he can use later in life once he is released back into society.

According to court documents, between Feb. 15 and 21, 2018, Leon Guerrero conspired with Tydingco and co-defendant Elaine Demei to possess over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Saipan.

The package containing methamphetamine was sent from California and was addressed to “Debbie Lee.”

On Feb. 21, 2018, upon arrival of the package, the three defendants picked up the parcel at the post office in San Vicente.

The methamphetamine in the package had a net weight of 110.03 grams and an approximate purity level of 100%.
Tydingco, Leon Guerrero, and Demei admitted to picking up a package from the post office.