Methamphetamine traffickers sentenced to federal prison

Three foreign nationals—two men and a woman—were recently sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to possess methamphetamine, or “ice,” with the intent to distribute and conspiring to maintain a drug-involved premises.

According to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release yesterday, Huaishu Wang, 40, was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the NMI of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment. 

His co-defendant, Hongjie Li, 48, was convicted of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment.

The third co-defendant, Yongbing Ni, 54, was convicted of conspiracy to maintain a drug-involved premises and sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory assessment. 

These defendants were also ordered to report to a U.S. Immigration Officer for deportation proceedings as a condition of their supervised release. The news release did not state the nationalities of the three defendants.

On May 3, 2022, Li claimed a package mailed from Canada to a private mail facility on Saipan. The package contained 858 grams of methamphetamine. Li transported the package to a residence, where she lived with Wang and Ni.  After the package was delivered to the residence, federal and local law enforcement agents executed a search warrant and discovered the three co-defendants were working together to distribute methamphetamine across the island.  

Inside the residence, agents discovered 214 grams of methamphetamine packaged in 46 baggies, an additional 15 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, three BB-guns similar in appearance to semiautomatic 9mm and .45 caliber handguns, an Airsoft rifle similar in appearance to a 5.56mm rifle, and $68,408 in U.S. currency.  The street value of the drugs was at least $540,000.

Shawn N. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, stated, “Our office is committed to aggressively prosecuting drug offenses in the CNMI. Substantial penalties apply to many of these crimes. Considering the effects of methamphetamine on our communities, we must make every effort toward deterrence and accountability.”

“Synthetic drugs, such as methamphetamine, are easy to manufacture, highly addictive, and responsible for the growing number of deaths in our communities,” said DEA Honolulu District Office assistant special agent in charge Victor Vazquez. “Individuals who seek to profit on these dangerous drugs and distribute them will be targeted and held accountable.”

This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, Guam Resident Office, Saipan Post of Duty.  The case was prosecuted by Albert Flores, Jr., and Garth Backe, assistant U.S. Attorneys in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands. (PR/Saipan Tribune)