FOR EMBEZZLING FED FUNDS Arrest Cabrera

Former Finance Sec. Antonio R. Cabrera finds himself in hot water again — this time with the federal government.

U.S. District Judge Alex R. Munson yesterday issued a warrant for his arrest after the ex-government official was indicted on five counts of embezzlement and bribery. He set his bail at $200,000.

As of yesterday afternoon, it was not known whether the U.S. Marshal’s Office had taken Mr. Cabrera, 40, into custody. The former finance chief also could not be reached for comment on the charges.

Based on the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Cabrera was accused of embezzling, stealing or obtaining by fraud over $56,000 from programs receiving federal funds while he was the finance chief during the administration of former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio.

He was also alleged to have accepted at least $6,000 as bribe money from Candido Castro, owner and operator of land surveying firm Castro and Associates, in exchange for a CNMI government transaction involving $30,621.25 in public funds.

The five-page indictment sheet did not provide details of the allegations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin A. Seely declined to disclose further information on the case.

The criminal charges in the federal court came barely six months after the CNMI government filed a civil case against Mr. Cabrera for allegedly misusing and misappropriating public funds amounting to $74,307.59.

The suit, still pending with the Superior Court, accused him of passing on his personal expenses, including luxury items and even donuts, to the government based on the investigation by the Office of Public Auditor.

Mr. Cabrera was secretary of the Department of Finance from June 1995 up until his resignation in August 1997 due to reported falling out with then-Gov. Tenorio. He received a salary of $54,000 per year during his tenure in office.

Federal prosecutors charged him with three counts of theft and two counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds in violations of Title 18 of the United States Code.

• Count 1 of the theft charges involved incident between Nov. 26 and Dec. 5, 1996 in which he was alleged to have taken $5,840.73 from public coffers;

• Count 2, also theft, stemmed from an incident between Dec. 3 and Dec. 23 of the same year in which the money involved amounted to $20,000;

• Count 3 alleged bribery of $3,000 paid by Mr. Castro to Mr. Cabrera on or about Dec. 24, 1996 with the intent to be influenced and rewarded in connection with a $30,621.25 transaction of the CNMI;

• Count 4, another theft, indicated that the funds from the transaction were allegedly transferred to Mr. Castro who was not its rightful owner; and

• Count 5, another bribery amounting to $3,000 allegedly from Mr. Castro which Mr. Cabrera received on Dec. 29, 1996, again in exchange for the reported CNMI transaction.

While the indictment had no details, sources said the $5,840.73 allegedly embezzled, stolen or obtained by fraud by Mr. Cabrera were used for a banquet at the Hyatt Regency in Manila, Philippines where he was reported to have bought party favors and gifts for guests.