Ex-Tinian mayor, 3 others indicted

Former Tinian Mayor James Masga Mendiola and three others have been indicted by a grand jury for four counts of federal criminal violations in connection with cattle rustling on Tinian.

Mr. Mendiola, 50, surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Nov. 19, 1999 and was arraigned in the U.S. District Court. He pled not guilty to charges of conspiracy to conceal and dispose stolen property.

The former mayor and congressman of the island municipality, who is eyeing a political comeback in the Tinian special elections to be held next year following the resignation of Sen. Herman Manglona, was released on bail. Mr. Manglona, also a former mayor, quit the Senate post after pleading guilty to charges of bribe-taking, mail fraud and jury tampering.

Also named defendants were Herman Palacios Aldan, 31; Alexander San Nicolas Borja, 30; and Franklin Borja Mundo, 32. According to Frederick A. Black, United States Attorney for Guam and the CNMI, the defendants carried out a plot to steal and butcher cattle owned by the Micronesian Development Corp. Except for Mundo, the two also pled not guilty to the charges.

According to the investigation, since late 1998 the four would sneak into the MDC pastures and shoot two to three heads of cattle on a weekly basis. They would then butcher the beef in the field, haul them out in pieces, transport and sell to people on Saipan.

MDC, which operates the largest ranch on Tinian, has lost more than 120 heads of cattle amounting to $134,000 from the scheme perpetrated by the four.

All the accused are facing charges of conspiracy to conceal stolen property within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., conspiracy to dispose of stolen livestock which is part of the interstate or foreign commerce, and disposing of stolen livestock which is part of interstate or foreign commerce. Mr.
Aldan and Mr. Mundo were also slapped with a charge of felon in possession of a firearm.

Both Aldan and Borja were arrested by the FBI on Nov. 19, 1999 and arraigned on Nov. 23, 1999. Mundo surrendered to the FBI on Nov. 29, 1999 and made an initial appearance before the court. All the four accused have been released after posting bond pending trial of the case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CNMI Organized Crime Task Force as well as the local police on Tinian conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Wood will prosecute the case on behalf of the United States.

Except for Mr. Mundo, the trial for the three has been set for January 24, 1999.