Macabalo pleads guilty to perjury

Alexandra Castro Macabalo, a 29-year-old woman accused of enticing a 15-year-old girl to engage in sex for cash with a CNMI government official in 2013, pleaded guilty to perjury yesterday in federal court.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona accepted Macabalo’s guilty plea and the plea agreement.

Manglona set the sentencing for June 24, 2016 at 9am.

Perjury carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Under the plea deal, the sentencing guideline range is 15 to 21 months imprisonment.

The court, however, retains its authority to impose any sentence up to the maximum penalties.

Manglona unsealed the plea agreement and vacated the jury trial set for tomorrow, Wednesday, in the enticement case.

The information, which was filed in court yesterday, charged Macabalo with one count of perjury for allegedly lying before a grand jury.

The defendant signed a plea agreement with the U.S. government. She waived her right to prosecution by indictment and consent to prosecution by information.

Under the plea agreement, the U.S. government agrees to move to dismiss the pending indictment (enticement) upon sentencing.

According to the factual basis of the plea agreement, Macabalo intentionally made false testimony before a grand jury on May 20, 2014.

Macabalo was asked during the grand jury if Raymond B. Roberto asked her to contact a minor girl and see if the girl was willing to have sex with that person for money.

Macabalo answered it’s not for money and that Roberto mentioned to “hook up with him.”

Macabalo also answered she does not recall the question if Roberto wanted her to convince the girl to have sex with him.

The defendant agreed that she did contact the girl and that she did that because it was a set up.

Asked what she meant by “set up,” Macabalo replied it’s not really a set up, but “it was a prank.”

According to the plea agreement, Macabalo’s testimony had a “natural tendency to influence, or was capable of influencing, the grand jury’s investigation.”

Assistant U.S. attorney Garth R. Backe is handling the case. Attorney Benjamin Petersburg is counsel for the defendant.

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Macabalo in April 2015 after a complaint was filed in court, charging her with enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution and other sexual activity. The indictment was later subsequently filed.

Last December, Manglona granted the U.S. Probation’s request to revoke the pretrial release of Macabalo for smoking methamphetamine or “ice” and violating other pre-trial conditions.