Disruption caused by typhoons delays trial of Ogumoro and co-defendants

Due to the significant disruption caused by Typhoon Soudelor and other recent typhoons, the prosecution and the defense counsels have agreed to delay until February next year the scheduled Oct. 19, 2015, jury trial of former Department of Public Safety deputy commissioner Ambrosio Ogumoro, his girlfriend, and her brother on corruption charges.

Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman on Thursday granted the parties’ request and vacated the Oct. 19 jury trial of Ogumoro, former police officer Katherine M. Manglona, and Herman M. Manglona.

Wiseman set a trial setting conference for Sept. 2, 2015, at 1:30pm.

The parties that asked for the trial’s postponement were assistant attorney general Matthew Baisley, as counsel for the government; Ogumoro and his counsel, Mark Hanson; Katherine Manglona and her counsel, Colin M. Thompson; and Herman Manglona and his counsel, assistant public defender Matthew Meyer.

According to the lawyers, the consequences of several recent typhoons have significantly interfered with their ability to adequately prepare for trial.

Additionally, the lawyers said, there are some outstanding discovery issues that have yet to be resolved, exacerbated by the islandwide power outage.

“This is a situation without a clear timeline for a resolution,” the lawyers stated.

Based on those reasons, the parties moved the court to continue the trial to a date in February 2016. Alternatively, the parties asked the court to vacate the Oct. 19 trial date and schedule a trial setting conference in order for the parties to select a new trial date.

Wiseman granted the parties’ alternative request.

Last April, Chief Prosecutor Leonardo Rapadas filed 11 criminal charges against Ogumoro and the Manglonas. The three, who are out on bail, pleaded not guilty.

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

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 of True North Bar & Grill, which is owned by Ogumoro.