Former Labor exec found guilty

A federal jury found a former official of the Department of Labor and Immigration on Rota guilty of all eight charges filed against her for involvement in a conspiracy to submit false typhoon disaster claims for seven ineligible applicants in 2003.

The 12 jurors found 48-year-old Fermina Atalig guilty on one count of conspiracy to submit false claims and making false statements from February through June 2003 and seven counts of false statement.

The jurors named Angelina Manglona in their verdict form as at least one of Atalig’s co-conspirators and pointed to a “Mayor of Rota certification letter” as at least one of Atalig’s overt acts.

The seven counts of false statement were in relation to the typhoon disaster applications of Flavian B. Hocog, Dexter M. Mendiola, Sydney S.N. Rosario, Lory-Anne S. Weilbacher, Nanette E. Atalig, Joleen A. Ramos, and Ryan Manglona.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Alex R. Munson set Atalig’s sentencing for June 13, 2006 at 9am.

Munson ordered that Atalig shall remain at liberty under all terms and conditions as the court previously set.

The trial started on Feb. 27. The jurors began deliberating on Friday afternoon. They resumed deliberation yesterday morning and reached a verdict at 1:20pm.

Assistant U.S. attorney Timothy Moran prosecuted the case. Veteran defense attorney G. Anthony Long served as counsel for the defendant.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Atalig on Rota in January 2005 after an indictment was handed down against her.

Atalig was the former director of the Division of Employment Services for DOLI on Rota.

Moran stated in the indictment that Atalig, as DES director, was in charge of the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program on Rota during the Typhoon Pongsona disaster assistance period. The defendant approved or denied all applications for DUA, calculated award amounts and supervised her staff in calculating award amounts.

‘False information’

President George W. Bush declared Rota a disaster area on Dec. 11, 2002, four days after Typhoon Pongsona battered the island, causing substantial destruction.

The CNMI and the Municipality of Rota officials asked for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including DUA assistance for residents. The U.S. Department of Labor then provided funding for the DUA program. The CNMI government, through DOLI, administered the DUA program for the typhoon disaster victims.

Moran said Atalig and her co-conspirators included false information in DUA applications that they prepared on behalf of the seven applicants.

They overstated the income of the applicants and, on that basis, awarded excessive DUA benefit amounts, Moran said.

The defendant and her co-conspirators allegedly included in the DUA applications a letter purportedly from the Rota mayor falsely certifying that an applicant was a full-time farmer or fisherman.

He said Atalig and her co-conspirators approved DUA benefits for applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they had not been employed before Typhoon Pongsona and therefore were not unemployed as a result of it.

They approved DUA benefits for applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they had other sources of income, he said.

Moran said the defendant and her co-conspirators approved DUA benefits for applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they had not resided on Rota prior to the typhoon and during the disaster assistance period.

Atalig and her co-conspirators approved DUA benefits applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they were not farmers or fishermen as incorrectly stated on their applications, Moran said.