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Ex-K9 program manager pleads not guilty
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Posted on Feb 13 2006
Former CNMI K9 Program manager and Customs officer Freddie Guajardo pleaded innocent yesterday to charges that he stole government money.
During his arraignment in Superior Court, Guajardo pleaded not guilty to the information charging him with theft of services, theft by unlawful disposition, and misconduct in public office.
Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja set the status conference for Feb. 23 at 9am.
Attorney Robert T. Torres, counsel for Guajardo, stated that his client is innocent of the charges and that they intend to mount a vigorous defense.
“This case is about a rush to judgment and conclusion to prosecute based on innuendo, speculation, and suspect motives, including political motives and professional animus,” Torres said.
Torres, a former Attorney General, said they hope that the Attorney General’s Office can objectively review the evidence. He believes that, in revisiting the evidence, AGO may reconsider its decision to prosecute this matter.
“To reiterate every citizen’s most fundamental right in a democracy, Mr. Guajardo remains cloaked with the presumption of innocence and will hold the government to its burden of proof, in addition to its responsibility to ensure justice. In this case, we believe justice requires dismissal of an improperly charged case,” he said in a news statement.
The AGO alleged that on Oct. 31, 2005 and Dec. 22, 2005, while employed as the chief instructor at the Pacific Region Detector Dog Training Center, Guajardo placed his own six dogs into the training center.
The AGO said the defendant instructed his subordinates to train these six dogs at the expense of the government.
The training of the defendant’s privately owned dogs cost the government in excess of $5,200, the prosecution said.
The government alleged that on Nov. 15, 2005, the defendant “unlawfully exercised control over two detector dogs belonging to the CNMI by selling the dogs to the Republic of Palau for $5,000.”
The AGO said Guajardo had the Palau remit the payment for the dogs to the defendant’s personally owned company, BC Kennels.
