Court sends 2 in drug case to federal prison

Two Filipinos were sent to federal prison yesterday following their guilty pleas on drug charges in the U.S. District Court in connection with trafficking of crystal methamphetamine, popularly known as “ice,” from the Philippines.

Jaime F. Maniquiz and Eduardo V. Cruz each received jail sentence of three years and two years, respectively. Both could face deportation proceedings after serving time.

Judge Alex R. Munson also ordered them to undergo drug treatment while in prison, and placed them on four years of supervised release subject to several conditions if they will not be returned to their country of origin.

The two escaped stiffer penalties of maximum of 12 years imprisonment and fine of up to $1 million each, which are imposed for conviction of the drug charges, as a result of their plea agreement with the U.S. government and substantial assistance to authorities in prosecuting other cases.

The court also waived payment of fine due to their inability to meet the financial obligation, but ordered them to pay special assessment fee of $200 each.

They expressed remorse for the crime during their sentencing which came three months since admitting guilt last April to two counts of conspiracy to distribute “ice” and possession with intent to distribute the controlled substance.

Judge Munson said the sentence meted out to the two convicts would send a message to the community on the islands’ war against drugs, citing it as cause of financial hardships and domestic violence among families here.

Charges brought against Mr. Maniquiz, a U.S. permanent resident on Guam, and Mr. Cruz, also a green-card holder living in San Vicente on Saipan, stemmed from an investigation and a buy-bust operation conducted by joint Drug Enforcement Agency/CNMI Task Force.

Members of the task force, through a cooperating individual, plot a recorded purchase of “ice” from Mr. Cruz on Feb. 10, 2000. Then on Feb. 19, the same individual conducted a recorded purchase of “ice” which led to the arrest of Mr. Cruz, according to court documents.

During the buy-bust operation, Mr. Cruz pointed to Mr. Maniquiz as the source of the illegal drugs, who was at that time rewinding at the Hotel California in Garapan.

Then on Feb. 21, the agents monitored a telephone conversation between the two wherein Mr. Cruz was to deliver the remaining cash proceeds to Mr. Maniquiz at the Hotel California.

A search of his hotel room yielded “ice” residue, packaging materials, a digital scale and drugs paraphernalia. Mr. Maniquiz admitted to the task force importing “ice” and selling them here.

The complaint filed against them in the federal court pointed out that the smuggling of the illicit drugs from the Philippines into the CNMI took place between October 1999 to February this year.

District Assistant Attorney David T. Wood, lead prosecutor, recommended a higher jail sentence for Mr. Maniquiz than Mr. Cruz because of the former’s role in the crime.