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Ryan Manglona gets 30-day prison term for role in fruit bat smuggling
The federal court on Friday slapped a 30-day prison term against Ryan James Inos Manglona, a former employee of the Rota Mayor’s Office who assisted then-Rota senator Juan M. Ayuyu in trying to smuggle endangered fruit bats from Rota to Saipan.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona gave Ryan Manglona credit for one day of time served.
Upon completing the prison term, Ryan Manglona will be placed on one year of supervised release and required, among other things to perform 50 hours of community service, and pay a $150 in special assessment fees.
Judge Manglona ordered the defendant to turn himself in to the U.S. Marshal on Nov. 14 at 9am to begin serving his sentence.
Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe recommended a 30-day imprisonment. Court-appointed defense counsel Robert T. Torres recommended the same.
Torres described Ryan Manglona’s participation in the case as only an errand boy or assistant.
Ryan Manglona pleaded guilty to perjury before a grand jury and conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species and Lacy Acts as part of a plea deal. The remaining five counts in two cases were dropped.
Former senator Ayuyu also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. He was sentenced to 41 months in prison in March.
Ryan Manglona was a community worker at the Rota Mayor’s Office and assigned to the Rota Delegation when eight Mariana fruit bats or fanihi were smuggled from Rota to Saipan on Oct. 17, 2010.
Ayuyu admitted that he called Ryan Manglona and instructed him to go to his house to take his baggage to the airport in advance of his flight to Saipan that evening.
Ayuyu said Ryan Manglona assisted him in covering the bats with a bunch of lemons. After U.S. Transportation Security Administration staff discovered the bats, Ayuyu asked Ryan Manglona to lie to the grand jury about their involvement.
