Charges vs Ogumoro girlfriend dismissed

Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman dismissed yesterday the corruption charges against Katherine M. Manglona, a former police officer who is the girlfriend of former Department of Public Safety deputy commissioner Ambrosio T. Ogumoro.

Wiseman dismissed the charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and misconduct in public office, after the Office of the Attorney General moved for the dismissal.

Assistant attorney general Matthew C. Baisley asked the court to dismiss without prejudice the charges against the 43-year-old Manglona. Dismissed without prejudice means the government may re-file the charges in the future.

Baisley said the effect of the motion, as reflected in the second amended information, is that the charge of theft by unlawful taking or disposition remains active against the 57-year-old Ogumoro.

Baisley said the charges of conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition and misconduct in public office are dismissed without prejudice against Manglona and Ogumoro.

The prosecutor said the government believes that those counts should be dismissed in the interest of justice.

Manglona and Ogumoro did not object to the motion to dismiss. Colin Thompson is counsel for Manglona.

Last April, then-chief prosecutor Leonardo Rapadas filed an information charging Ogumoro with two counts of conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition, four counts of misconduct in public office, two counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and two counts of removal of government property.

The information charged Manglona with conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition and theft by unlawful taking or disposition.

Manglona’s brother, Herman Manglona, was charged with conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition and receiving stolen property.

According to the allegations, Ogumoro brought a 1995 Toyota four-door Tercel that belonged to DPS to a shop for repairs using DPS funds totaling $2,500 in 2012 and then sold the vehicle as “scrap” for only $50 to Herman Manglona.

Ogumoro and Katherine Manglona also allegedly instructed a DPS staff to bring a DPS desktop computer to a shop for repair using DPS funding in the amount of $276. The computer was allegedly later used in the office at True North Bar & Grill, which is owned by Ogumoro.