Tim Villagomez OK’d to travel to PH

The federal court has granted the request of former lieutenant governor Timothy P. Villagomez, who is on probation, to travel to the Philippines to visit family friends and for medical-related services.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona approved last week Villagomez’s request to leave last Wednesday and return to Saipan on Nov. 26.

Manglona required Villagomez to abide by certain conditions while he is in Dasmarinas, Cavite and for him to call his probation officer as soon as he is aware of any need to stay in the Philippines for a longer period, if he changes accommodations or locations, and as soon as he returns to Saipan.

Villagomez began his term of supervised release on June 24, 2017, in the District of Idaho.

At Villagomez’s request, his supervision was transferred to the U.S. Probation Office for the NMI, and is set to expire on June 23, 2020.

U.S. probation officer Gregory F. Arriola informed the court that Villagomez asked to travel to Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines, from Nov. 14 to 26 to visit family friends and for medical-related purposes.

Arriola said he has verified that a majority of Villagomez’s travel expenses will be paid for by one of his friends.

Arriola said Villagomez has generally completed his conditions of supervised release.

On Aug. 6, 2009, the former lieutenant governor paid off his $400 special assessment fee.

Arriola said although Villagomez owes a substantial amount in restitution, he continues to make consistent monthly payments toward the outstanding balance, which is also monitored by the U.S. Attorney’s Financial Litigation Unit.

Arriola supported Villagomez’s request to travel to the Philippines.

In 2009, the U.S. District Court for the NMI sentenced Villagomez to seven years and three months in prison for his conviction in a conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. through needless purchases of a de-scaling chemical called Rydlyme.

In 2013, U.S. District Court for the NMI Emeritus Chief Judge Alex R. Munson re-sentenced Villagomez to nine years.

Munson ordered that after serving the sentence, Villagomez would be placed on three years’ probation.

He was ordered to pay $346,125 in restitution to CUC, jointly with former Commerce secretary James A. Santos and Joaquina V. Santos.

Munson conducted the resentencing after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated Villagomez’s sentence and ordered that he be resentenced after finding that the judge made a mistake in calculating the defendant’s sentence.