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Man arrested for allegedly lying to USCIS officer
Federal agents arrested on Tuesday in Koblerville a man who was indicted for allegedly providing a false statement to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer.
Benigno Ilo Mettao was taken to the U.S. District Court for the NMI on Tuesday afternoon for his initial appearance and arraignment.
Mettao, through counsel, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of false statement.
Attorney David Banes appeared for attorney Michael Dotts, the court-appointed counsel for Mettao. Dotts is off-island.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather L. Kennedy set the jury trial for May 26, 2015, at 10am.
Assistant U.S. attorney Russell Lorfing did not ask for Mettao’s continued detention as the U.S. government does not believe he is a flight risk, but he requested the court to set conditions for Mettao’s pretrial release.
Kennedy ordered Mettao be released upon the posting of a $10,000 unsecured bond plus some release conditions.
According to the indictment filed in court last March 13, in an interview with a USCIS officer on May 25, 2011, Mettao said he lived with Bao Qin Ding in the village of San Antonio.
Mettao allegedly knew that his representations were false and fraudulent in that he did not live in San Antonio and had never lived with Bao Qin Ding.
