Ex-BMV director pleads guilty

The former director of the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Juana Deleon Guerrero, has pleaded guilty to the license fraud charge filed against her by the U.S. government.

Deleon Guerrero appeared before U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy yesterday and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce an identification document, specifically local driver’s licenses.

Deleon Guerrero initially pleaded not guilty but appeared before the court for a change of plea hearing yesterday afternoon.

Kennedy accepted Deleon Guerrero’s guilty plea and stated that she would recommend the matter for sentencing to U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona.

Pursuant to her plea agreement, Deleon Guerrero is looking at a between three-to-five-year sentence for her involvement in fraudulently producing over 50 licenses to undocumented individuals.

Deleon Guerrero will remain out of custody pending sentencing.

Robert Torres, who represents Deleon Guerrero, reiterated the judge’s ruling in an interview following the hearing but added that Deleon Guerrero has pleaded guilty to her involvement in the fraudulent issuance of local licenses, as opposed to the new Real ID licenses that would have resulted in more scrutiny from the federal government.

“There’s a Real ID Act. That’s a new statute that allows the use of driver’s licenses for travel. However, based on the facts in this case, the driver’s licenses that were produced as a result of Juana Deleon Guerrero’s case were local, non-Real IDs,” he said.

“Juana Deleon Guerrero entered a guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement with the United States government. The parties’ recommendation is a sentence of no greater than five years. Today the magistrate judge accepted the plea but will recommend her findings to the judge whether to accept the plea. Upon acceptance, the matter will be set for sentencing,” he added.

Following the hearing, Kennedy unsealed the information filed against Deleon Guerrero.

According to the unsealed information, on or about Jan. 1, 2020, through about Dec. 20, 2022, on at least 50 occasions, Deleon Guerrero conspired with Li Yongde, or “Ivan,” fellow BMV employees, residents of the CNMI without lawful immigration status, and others, to produce CNMI driver licenses unlawfully for 10 individuals without valid and current legal immigration status in the United States.

Specifically, Deleon Guerrero knowingly permitted Ivan, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China without lawful immigration status, to bring other citizens of the PRC and of other nationalities without lawful immigration status to the BMV, where those foreign citizens were subsequently issued fraudulent CNMI driver licenses.

Ivan allegedly charged these individuals around $1,500 to $1,700 for a new license and around $300 to $400 for a renewal license.

Ivan would accept payments from foreign citizens and bring them to the BMV where they would meet with BMV staff, including Deleon Guerrero.

There, Ivan would assist foreign citizens by serving as a translator and by submitting driver license applications on their behalf that included fraudulent immigration documents.

The United States says Deleon Guerrero was aware that Ivan was facilitating these illicit transactions and even directed five members of her staff to assist Ivan with fraudulent distribution of CNMI driver licenses to foreign citizens without lawful immigration status.

The defendant also communicated directly with Ivan to make appointments or other necessary arrangements to facilitate the fraudulent scheme.

Deleon Guerrero accepted payments from Ivan, and others, through cash of upwards of $500.

In addition, the former director and five other members of the BMV were routinely treated to meals bought and paid for by Ivan.