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Defendant in first cyberstalking case enters plea deal with US govt
The defendant in the first cyberstalking case in the CNMI has entered a plea deal with the U.S. government, according to the prosecution yesterday.
Special assistant U.S. attorney Mohammad Khatib informed the U.S. District Court for the NMI that the U.S. government and defendant Brian Tebuteb Palacios have signed a plea agreement.
Khatib said in light of this plea deal, the U.S. government is requesting the court to set the matter for a change of plea hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 2pm.
Khatib said the U.S. government has conferred with Palacios’ counsel, Steven P. Pixley, who concurs in this motion.
As of yesterday, the plea deal was sealed.
The court has ordered the continued detention of Palacios, who is facing an indictment charging him with a charge of cyberstalking.
According to the indictment, between April 19 and Sept. 15, 2015, Palacios used the Internet to harass and threaten the victim, placing that person and the spouse in fear of death and of serious bodily injury and causing emotional distress to the couple.
