Ex-DPW official gets 5 months in prison, 5 months home confinement

A former Department of Public Works building code inspector was sentenced yesterday to five months in prison and five months in home confinement for extorting $200 from a printing press owner.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona Villagomez Manglona directed Thomas S. Salas to report to the U.S. Marshal’s Office to start serving his sentence when a federal detention facility is designated for him. After prison, Salas will be placed on supervised release.

Manglona accepted the U.S. Probation Office’s report that Salas is unable to pay a fine and required him instead to perform 100 hours of community service.

Salas was also required to pay a $100 court assessment fee. He is also barred from having any contact with the victim.

Manglona agreed with assistant U.S. attorney Eric O’Malley’s statement that graft at any level of government inevitably degrades trust in the system itself. She said that graft is a “nicer word for corruption.”

“If members of the public do not trust the system, they will be less likely to abide by its structures, thus perpetuating a destructive cycle,” the judge said, quoting O’Malley.

O’Malley also pointed out that the CNMI community now suffers from such a cycle. “Only strict accountability can interrupt this cycle.”

Before the sentence was handed down, Salas told the court that because of his inappropriate action, he shamed his family, the CNMI government, and that he lost his job. He apologized to the court, his family, the victim, and the people of the CNMI.

“I’m humbly sorry for what I’ve done,” he said.

The sentencing guidelines range was 10 to 16 months prison term. O’Malley had recommended the lowest range—10 months. He asked the court that Salas be made to serve at least half of whatever sentence is imposed by incarceration as opposed to just home confinement.

Attorney David Banes, counsel for Salas, had recommended 10 months in home confinement, saying the defendant is an excellent candidate for rehabilitation.

In May 2011, Salas pleaded guilty to the crime of extortion under color of official right.

According to the indictment, Salas used his position with DPW to demand bribes from the owner of a printing press in exchange for not imposing building code violation fines.

The FBI arrested Salas on Sept. 7, 2010, after he extorted a total of $200 cash from the businessman.

O’Malley said the victim stated that he actually lost $1,720 from Salas and other persons, but that the victim will not pursue the amount.

The FBI will return to the victim the $200 cash that the agents recovered from Salas during two payments that led to the defendant’s arrest.

Salas is the first person that Manglona sentenced since taking her oath as the new chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the NMI.