Leader of group that smuggled $850K worth of ‘ice’ gets 188 months in jail

Manglona

Xi Huang, a Chinese national tagged as leader of a group behind the shipment of 4.9 lbs of methamphetamine or “ice” then-worth $850,000 in 2015, was slapped on Friday in federal court with 188 months or 15 years and eight months of imprisonment for the offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona noted that in the Philippines, the campaign against illegal drugs waged by the country’s President Rodrigo Duterte renders swift justice with execution.

“You are not in the Philippines. We are here in the U.S. and you are afforded due process,” said Manglona in sentencing the 28-year-old Huang.

Manglona said “ice” has been wreaking havoc in this community, the U.S., and throughout the world.

The judge told Huang that his own brother, Biao, committed the same crime in the CNMI less than 10 years ago and was sentenced to 135 months imprisonment.

“That should be a big deterrence to you,” Manglona said.

Huang was given credit for time served in prison. After serving the prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for three years.

After completing the prison term, Huang will be subjected to deportation proceedings. He was ordered to immediately pay a $100 court assessment fee.

Before the judge handed down the sentence, Huang spoke before the court. He cried uncontrollably along with his mother, who sat next to his father in the courtroom.

“I beg to you your honor, give me another chance,” said the crying Huang through an interpreter.

Huang said he will never commit the same crime.

Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe, counsel for the U.S. government, recommended 210 months imprisonment or 17.6 years.

Backe said Huang asserted a leadership role in this conspiracy as he was the one who coordinated the delivery of the “ice,” paid for co-defendant, Shicheng Cai’s travel and lodging, took Cai to get a fake CNMI driver’s license in China, and was going to pay Cai $7,000-$8,000 for helping with the plan, among other things.

Attorney Robert T. Torres, counsel for Huang, recommended a 10-year prison sentence.

In an interview after the hearing, Torres said under the sentencing guidelines, Huang is looking between 17.5 years to the maximum of 20 years imprisonment.

Torres said in comparison to similar case from July 2015, the largest amount of “ice” seized in the CNMI, the court in Huang’s case exercised discretion to go below and imposed the sentence 188 months.

Torres said for one reason articulated is the decision for Huang to do an open plea or an unprotected plea or without plea agreement that originally proposed a 10-year imprisonment, but for considerations did not proceed.

“So the court I believe considered all the factors,” Torres said.

“It’s regrettable for the loss of two brothers from the family but we understand the concerns regarding drugs. We believe that the court fully considered the arguments and we appreciate that much,” he said.

Torres said one of the factors that the court has to avoid is what is called unwarranted disparity in sentencing.

The defense lawyer said compared to the 23 lbs from Zhenlin Fang and Yuliu Liu case, in which the two were sentenced each of 10 years of imprisonment, Huang’s case involved 4.4 lbs.

Torres said Manglona found that the fact Huang has a brother who suffered similar conviction in 2008 merit it that distinction, that there was no disparity.

In sentencing Huang, Manglona said this year a defendant appeared before her and acknowledged the worst consequences when he lost his brother to drug overdose.

Manglona said “ice” is the type of drugs that has been wreaking havoc in the community.

Manglona said Huang’s case is reportedly the second largest case involving the amount of drugs seized in the CNMI.

Manglona also acknowledged that Huang accepted responsibility and entered a guilty plea with no expectation of leniency.

The judge told Huang that while in prison, he will have the opportunity to improve himself by availing of continuing education program.

Manglona said if he would show good behavior in prison, Huang would possibly get credit and not serve the full 188 months.

After the hearing, the defendant was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal.

Last March, Huang pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the change of plea hearing, Torres informed the court that the U.S. government would be withdrawing the plea agreement that the defendant had signed.

Torres said the defendant, however, was willing to proceed with an open plea and would be entering a guilty plea.

Backe stated that the sentence recommended in the proposed plea agreement was in exchange for certain things.

Backe said Huang was not willing to uphold one of the conditions, which was as an agreement that the other co-defendant was a co-conspirator.

Backe said the court should find that Huang is not entitled to a reduction in prison sentence, reject the plea deal, and then proceed with the change of plea hearing.

Torres did not object.

Manglona then advised Huang that she rejected the plea agreement.

Last June, Huang’s co-defendant, Shicheng Cai, pleaded guilty. He has yet to be sentenced.

According to the indictment, Huang and co-defendants Shicheng Cai and Zhaopeng Chen conspired between Nov. 30 and Dec. 4, 2015, to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

A routine Customs inspection at the Port of Saipan of a 40-foot container from Guangzhou, China, resulted in the discovery of the 4.9 lbs of “ice” hidden in three plastic bags in one of the nine 5-gallon paint containers last Dec. 2.

Joint federal and local enforcers investigated the shipment, resulting in the defendants’ arrest.

In 2010, the federal court slapped Huang’s older brother, Biao Huang, with 135 months imprisonment, after he and a co-defendant tried to sell 947 grams of “ice” to a confidential source and an undercover FBI agent at a hotel in Susupe.

A total of 1,021.4 grams of “ice” worth $510,000 were reportedly seized prior to the arrest of Biao Huang and three co-defendants. At that time, it was considered as the largest “ice” haul in the CNMI history.

Xi and Biao Huang are sons of Yu Ren Huang and Lian Ying Chen, who are among the owners of Huangshun Corp.

Huangshun Corp. operates Sunshine Garden Hotel in Susupe and various businesses on Tinian, according to court documents.

The July 2015 arrest of Zhenlin Fang and Yuliu Liu and the seizure and detection of over 10,700 grams of “ice” worth about $4.3 million was reportedly the biggest drug haul in Commonwealth history.