Realty office padlocked and glass door damaged

The office of Legend Realty in western Garapan is seen padlocked over the weekend. The glass door also had cracks. Legend Realty, along with the office of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, was among the offices searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation last Thursday.
(FERDIE DE LA TORRE)

The office of Legend Realty in western Garapan, which was among several offices searched last Thursday by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, remained padlocked as of yesterday.

Saipan Tribune asked for an update about the FBI’s searches, but FBI Honolulu media coordinator/special agent Jason K. White has yet to respond as of press time yesterday.

Saipan Tribune observed that the right side of Legend Realty’s window door had several cracks. It was not clear whether the damage was caused by the FBI’s search. It was also not clear whether it was the FBI that padlocked the office.

Some witnesses told Saipan Tribune that FBI agents started the search Thursday at about 10am and that they were still there at the building at about 5:30pm later that same day.

One of the witnesses said the FBI agents hauled off a lot of items from Legend Realty.

Michael Dotts, who represents Legend Realty on limited matters, usually on specific real estate transactions and with regard to maintaining their LLC status, said yesterday that he has no comment at this time about the search.

A source said Legend Realty is 51% owned by a foreign company called Legend Giant Investment Limited, with an office in Hong Kong. The principal of Legend Giant is believed to be named Donglin Wang. Ron Anderson owns 49% of Legend Realty.

Saipan Tribune also learned that Alfred Yue of Marianas Consultancy Services LLC had at least a transaction with Legend Realty, which served as the broker in an assignment of a lease deal.

The office of Yue at IPI-owned Vestcor Commercial Plaza on Capital Hill was also among those reportedly searched by the FBI. Yue is a consultant of Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC.

Another worker of a commercial business near Legend Realty said the establishment is always closed, even before the FBI’s search last Thursday.

The worker said the FBI’s raid prompted a massage parlor near Legend Realty to close until the weekend for unknown reasons.

Yue used to work as managing director of the defunct Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.

In this frame grab taken from Facebook that purports to show photos from Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ birthday, he is flanked here by Ron Anderson, who is part-owner of Legend Realty, left, and his brother Jack Torres, one of the principals of the Torres Brothers law office. Both Legend Realty and the Torres Brothers law office were reportedly searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(SAIPAN TRIBUNE)

According to court records, a Chinese woman filed in December 2005 a $1.5-million lawsuit against Yue, TDHC’s original owner Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investment Ltd., New Echo Entertainment Inc., and five other persons, alleging that she was treated as a virtual slave, beaten up, imprisoned, and forced to sign papers.

Jiang Li Rong sued the defendants for alleged forced labor-human trafficking, unpaid overtime compensation, unpaid minimum wage, breach of contract, fraud, battery, intentional infliction of distress, false imprisonment, and negligence.

Saipan Tribune tried to obtain information from Mark B. Hanson, who is counsel for Rong, as to the status of the lawsuit but there was no response as of press time.

According to Hanson in the lawsuit, his client managed to escape on May 7, 2005, from an apartment where she was treated like a slave and tortured to sign “confession” papers.

Hanson stated in the complaint that HKE, then owner of Tinian Dynasty, hired Rong and brought her to Saipan where she became a victim of human trafficking.

Hanson said Echo Karaoke is a brothel incorporated by Yue in western Garapan. The karaoke bar allegedly purported to employ Rong part of the time when she was employed on Saipan.

It was allegedly Yu, Tinian Dynasty and a stakeholder of Echo Karaoke who processed the documents necessary for Rong’s transportation to and employment in the CNMI.

When Rong arrived on Saipan on Dec. 29, 2004, she was met at the airport by the manager of the karaoke and transported to an apartment in Vestcor Village on Capital Hill.

Hanson said that in April 2005, Yue and co-defendants purported to cause Rong to be transferred from the employment at Tinian Dynasty to the employment of Echo Karaoke as a “waitress” by a consensual transfer approved by the Labor director.

Other offices searched by the FBI were Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ on Capital Hill, and IPI’s finance and human resources office at the Marina Heights Business Park Building in Puerto Rico, Saipan.