Former teacher arrested for alleged possession of ‘ice’

Former Tinian teacher and mixed martial artist George Yoshimoto Manglona Jr. led law enforcers on a chase at the Saipan International Airport late Monday afternoon before being arrested for alleged possession of 10.1 gross grams of methamphetamine or “ice.”

A Corrections officer escorts George Y. Manglona Jr. after a bail hearing yesterday in Superior Court on illegal possession of controlled substance charge. Police officers and K-9 units arrested Manglona in the parking lot of the Saipan International Airport on Monday.
(Ferdie De La Torre)

Manglona, 31, who also has a prior service with the U.S. Army, was taken to Superior Court yesterday for his initial appearance on a charge of illegal possession of a controlled substance.

His bail was set at $2,500 cash and $22,500 in appearance bond.

Preliminary hearing will be on Feb. 24 at 1:30pm. Arraignment will be at the Tinian Courthouse on March 13 at 9am.

Chief Public Defender Douglas Hartig was appointed counsel for Manglona. Assistant attorney general Shannon Foley appeared for the government.

Police detective Jeffrey I. Norita stated in his report that operatives of the Department of Public Safety’s Special Operation Section and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force did a controlled buy-walk operation against Manglona for “ice” on Tinian last Friday but nothing came out of it.

On Sunday night, Norita said he received information from a police officer that Manglona had left Tinian and was on Saipan to obtain “ice.” The police officer reportedly received the tip from a “cooperating source” on Tinian.

On Monday, SOS and DEA operatives learned that Manglona was scheduled to fly back to Tinian at 6pm that same day.

SOS and DEA operatives set up a surveillance operation at the Saipan commuter terminal and waited for Manglona. At 5:30pm, a DEA Task Force member spotted him at the terminal and approached him.

As the DEA Task Force member was trying to talk to Manglona, the defendant walked out of the terminal and ran toward the main terminal area and main terminal parking lot.

The DEA Task Force member and another officer as well as K-9 units chased Manglona on foot toward the parking lot of the Francisco C. Ada International Airport, where he was apprehended at 5:42pm.

While running, Manglona was seen throwing items from a small blue bag.

The four pursuing officers and K-9 units procured Manglona’s belongings, including a small bag containing four baggies with crystalline substances that later tested presumptive positive for “ice.”