Woman in alien smuggling case wants a court-paid investigator

A woman indicted on charges of luring Chinese nationals to the CNMI to work in non-existing jobs has asked the federal court to allow her to hire a court-appointed investigator to assist her lawyer in preparation for her jury trial.

Heqian Ma, through court-appointed counsel Michael N. Evangelista, asked the U.S. District for the NMI to authorize the payment of an investigative fee to an investigator.

Evangelista said they need an investigator to assist him in additional investigation to ensure that Ma is afforded the opportunity to mount a complete and proper defense.

“Given that defendant has been ordered by the court to remain detained until trial, the assistance of an investigator is needed to facilitate additional investigation in order to mount a complete and proper defense,” he said.

Evangelista said his client needs an investigator to search for tangible or testamentary evidence from all witnesses in the case.

He said an investigator is needed to look into the accusations and allegations made against Ma in the indictment and to examine the U.S. government’s evidence.

Evangelista told Saipan Tribune that they are poring through the discovery materials provided by the U.S. government, tracking down leads, and verifying the government’s allegations.

The more they sift through all these materials, Evangelista said it is becoming more apparent that they need to follow up leads on both Saipan and Tinian and test the government’s allegations.

“If you recall, this is the ‘tourist gone wild’ case for which my client has been sitting in jail for months now while the supposed tourists, who admitted that they lied to a Homeland Security Officer, are still free, and out maybe partying,” he said.

The six Chinese nationals—who lied that they were tourists when in fact they were here to work—were convicted of improper entry.

“These two cases are very similar. Why the difference in treatment?” the lawyer pointed out.

According to the indictment, on Dec. 16, 2010, Ma encouraged couple Weifeng Guo and Yujan Li, both Chinese nationals, to come and reside in the CNMI, knowing that their entering would be in violation of law.

Ma allegedly recruited the two in China for non-existent jobs in the CNMI.

Ma pleaded not guilty to the indictment charging her with two counts of alien smuggling, and two counts of fraud in foreign labor contracting.