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One of three pleads guilty to forging driver’s license
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Posted on Jul 12 2021
One of the three defendants accused of helping produce fake CNMI driver’s licenses pleaded guilty last Thursday before the U.S District Court for the NMI.
Margarito Cortez Villafuerte pleaded guilty before District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona Manglona who ordered Villafuerte to return to court on Sept. 28 at 1:30pm for his sentencing.
Villafuerte, who remains out of custody, was ordered not violate federal, state, or local law while on release, cooperate in the collection of a DNA sample if it is authorized by the court, advise the court, in writing, before making any change of residence or telephone number, and to appear in court as required and, if convicted, must surrender.
According to court documents, the U.S government accused Villafuerte and two others, of helping produce fake CNMI driver’s licenses.
Villafuerte’s co-defendants—Chun Li and Bernadita Zata—were also charged with one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce an identification document.
Li was charged following the most recent forging incident, Jan. 19, 2019. The district court appointed Robert Torres to represent Li.
Court documents stated that back on June 21, 2017, Villafuerte conspired with an individual, identified as B.S., to produce a sham CNMI driver’s license.
The federal court appointed Steven Pixley to represent Villafuerte.
As for Zata, she allegedly conspired and agreed with another person identified as B.S. to produce a CNMI driver’s license back on Feb. 16, 2017.
