Hillbroom DHL Heir Sentenced for Ice in Idaho; PPUC Boss Not Guilty; Palau Crypto Gamble; Other Lega
Hillbroom gets 8 years in federal prison for conspiracy to sell meth
by Leilani Reklai
February 11, 2022
Larry Hillbroom Jr. has been sentenced to 8 years in US federal prison for conspiracy to sell methamphetamine. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill has also ordered Hillbroom to serve 3 years of supervised release after his prison sentence, as well as pay a fine of $2,000.
Mr. Hillbroom, known here as Larry Imeong Hillbroom, heir of the DHL founder Larry Hillblom, pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (otherwise known as “ice”) by smuggling through international airports between North Idaho, USA, Guam, and Palau in 2015 and 2016.
Based on the evidence presented at court, Larry Hillbroom Jr. conspired to smuggle drugs using various methods such as shampoo containers and carrying substances in their person to Guam and Palau. Once in Guam or Palau, they would get locals to sell the methamphetamine.
Two of his co-conspirators, Morgan Kenney and Zachary Craig Carlson, pled guilty, while the other co-conspirator Sean Robert Wathen pled not guilty and is awaiting his trial in May of this year.
His prosecution was part of the US Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation-a multi-agency of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against organized crime networks.
Hillbroom was arrested in Idaho after Judge Materne allowed him in 2018 to seek off-island rehabilitation in California for a drug possession conviction in Palau. Instead of going to the rehabilitation program in California, he went to Idaho where he was arrested by US law enforcement for violation of a previous case he had in the US.
In 2019, the Palau Supreme Court ordered his arrest for violation of probation when he failed to enter into addiction therapy in California.
According to the 2019 order, Hillbroom will be arrested once he re-enters Palau and will be detained “until a violation of probation hearing takes place”.
https://islandtimes.org/hillbroom-gets-8-years-in-federal-prison-for-conspiracy-to-sell-meth/
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Ngiralmau not guilty of theft, court rules
by Leilani Reklai
February 18, 2022
Former PPUC employee Wridan Ngiralmau was declared not guilty of the sole count of Theft in the Second Degree, a charge filed against him by the Office of Attorney last December. The verdict was issued from the bench relieving defendant Ngiralmau of all “pre-judgement conditions” and releasing his bail.
Justice Materne in issuing her judgment, orally stated her reasons in the Court saying that she did not find all the prosecution witnesses as credible witnesses. The prosecution has 13 witnesses and 8 prosecution exhibits. She said that when Dave Dengokl authorized removal of the fuel, he authorized all other acts by Wridan Ngiralmau.
Ngiralmau was accused of Theft in the Second Degree for selling 10 drums or 500 gallons of diesel fuel from Palau Public Utilities Corporation’s(PPUC) power plant in Aimeliik to Aimeliik State Government for $3.00 per gallon. The allegations said that Mr. Ngiralmau submitted an invoice to Aimeliik State in his name and Aimeliik State issued him a check for $1,500.
Ngiralmau resigned from PPUC and PPUC’s Board authorized a report of the theft to the police. As a result of the report and investigation, the Office of Attorney General filed the case against Mr. Ngiralmau.
(Correction: The previous report said Ngiralmau was fired but it was confirmed that he wasn’t fired. He was given an option by PPUc and he chose to resign voluntarily.)v
https://islandtimes.org/ngiralmau-not-guilty-of-theft-court-rules/
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PNCC Board member can be Acting CEO: Senate Legal Opinion
by Leilani Reklai
February 11, 2022
A Board member of the Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) can be appointed as acting CEO of the company as long as he or she is not compensated states the legal opinion issued by the Senate legal counsel in response to an inquiry from Senate’s Committee on Energy, Public Utilities and Telecommunications (EPUT).
A Board member may legally hold the position of Acting General Manager if they are not receiving a salary for the position and comply with relevant restrictions of Palau’s Code of Ethics, Title 33, Chapter 6.
Unlike Palau Public Utilities Corporation’s (PPUC) law that bars the PPUC Board of Directors from employment within PPUC, PNCC law and regulations are silent on whether the Board member can be appointed as employees of PNCC.
“While the Palau Public Utilities Corporation may be governed in some ways that are similar to the governance structure of PNCC, the Board of PNCC does not face restrictions of the same magnitude as the PPUC Board at this time,” stated the legal opinion.
PNCC Board of Directors placed PNCC’s CEO Leoben Teriong and its COO Myers Techitong on suspension and PNCC Board member Bradley Kumangai was appointed as acting CEO. After a week, the Board appointed Board member Jennifer Sugiyama as the Acting CEO until January 5.
Before the end of the suspension, both CEO Teriong and COO Techitong submitted their resignation and Board member Jennifer Sugiyama was re-appointed acting CEO until further notice.
The former CEO and COO were suspended after Senate questioned the awarding of a bid to a company Blue Arcus Technologies, to clean up PNCC’s core network from China-made technologies. The former managers of PNCC said they followed PNCC’s bidding regulations.
https://islandtimes.org/pncc-board-member-can-be-acting-ceo-senate-legal-opinion/
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Crypto exchange licensing will add value to digital residency law: Whipps
by Island Times
February 18, 2022
President Surangel Whipps Jr. said cryptocurrency exchange licensing would add value to thezdigital residency law.
On Wednesday, Whipps said 150 digital residency applications were approved. “And of course, the people who have signed up have questions themselves. They ask that now that they have been issued digital IDs, what’s the value and what can they do with it,” Whipps told reporters.
Palau launched the Digital Residency Program earlier this month with billionaire Tim Draper announced as Founding Digital Resident. The first version of the digital residency bill sought the establishment of a “cryptocurrency Exchange Licensing. The crypto exchange will allow Palau to license companies that conduct trading of cryptocurrencies, where people would exchange dollars for cryptocurrencies.
In the press conference Wednesday, the president said there is a need to revisit the crypto exchange licensing proposal. “One of the things that we need to look at, also, a part of the digital residency act is the crypto exchange licensing, one of the things we need to do is to work with an experienced legal person to help us draft a good legislation,” he said.
The president said that most of the digital residents would want to trade cryptocurrency. “There are other pieces of the legislation that need to be passed to help provide value to their digital residency because it doesn’t make sense to pay for it while can’t do anything with it,” he said. The digital residency program allows a non-citizen without being a physical resident of Palau to apply for a digital residency ID. The bearer of the digital residency ID can open digital accounts, apply for a legal name change certificate, establish a physical mailing address, and establish a digital phone number. (Island Times)
https://islandtimes.org/crypto-exchange-licensing-will-add-value-to-digital-residency-law-whipps/
by Leilani Reklai
February 11, 2022
Larry Hillbroom Jr. has been sentenced to 8 years in US federal prison for conspiracy to sell methamphetamine. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill has also ordered Hillbroom to serve 3 years of supervised release after his prison sentence, as well as pay a fine of $2,000.
Mr. Hillbroom, known here as Larry Imeong Hillbroom, heir of the DHL founder Larry Hillblom, pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (otherwise known as “ice”) by smuggling through international airports between North Idaho, USA, Guam, and Palau in 2015 and 2016.
Based on the evidence presented at court, Larry Hillbroom Jr. conspired to smuggle drugs using various methods such as shampoo containers and carrying substances in their person to Guam and Palau. Once in Guam or Palau, they would get locals to sell the methamphetamine.
Two of his co-conspirators, Morgan Kenney and Zachary Craig Carlson, pled guilty, while the other co-conspirator Sean Robert Wathen pled not guilty and is awaiting his trial in May of this year.
His prosecution was part of the US Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation-a multi-agency of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against organized crime networks.
Hillbroom was arrested in Idaho after Judge Materne allowed him in 2018 to seek off-island rehabilitation in California for a drug possession conviction in Palau. Instead of going to the rehabilitation program in California, he went to Idaho where he was arrested by US law enforcement for violation of a previous case he had in the US.
In 2019, the Palau Supreme Court ordered his arrest for violation of probation when he failed to enter into addiction therapy in California.
According to the 2019 order, Hillbroom will be arrested once he re-enters Palau and will be detained “until a violation of probation hearing takes place”.
https://islandtimes.org/hillbroom-gets-8-years-in-federal-prison-for-conspiracy-to-sell-meth/
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Ngiralmau not guilty of theft, court rules
by Leilani Reklai
February 18, 2022
Former PPUC employee Wridan Ngiralmau was declared not guilty of the sole count of Theft in the Second Degree, a charge filed against him by the Office of Attorney last December. The verdict was issued from the bench relieving defendant Ngiralmau of all “pre-judgement conditions” and releasing his bail.
Justice Materne in issuing her judgment, orally stated her reasons in the Court saying that she did not find all the prosecution witnesses as credible witnesses. The prosecution has 13 witnesses and 8 prosecution exhibits. She said that when Dave Dengokl authorized removal of the fuel, he authorized all other acts by Wridan Ngiralmau.
Ngiralmau was accused of Theft in the Second Degree for selling 10 drums or 500 gallons of diesel fuel from Palau Public Utilities Corporation’s(PPUC) power plant in Aimeliik to Aimeliik State Government for $3.00 per gallon. The allegations said that Mr. Ngiralmau submitted an invoice to Aimeliik State in his name and Aimeliik State issued him a check for $1,500.
Ngiralmau resigned from PPUC and PPUC’s Board authorized a report of the theft to the police. As a result of the report and investigation, the Office of Attorney General filed the case against Mr. Ngiralmau.
(Correction: The previous report said Ngiralmau was fired but it was confirmed that he wasn’t fired. He was given an option by PPUc and he chose to resign voluntarily.)v
https://islandtimes.org/ngiralmau-not-guilty-of-theft-court-rules/
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PNCC Board member can be Acting CEO: Senate Legal Opinion
by Leilani Reklai
February 11, 2022
A Board member of the Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) can be appointed as acting CEO of the company as long as he or she is not compensated states the legal opinion issued by the Senate legal counsel in response to an inquiry from Senate’s Committee on Energy, Public Utilities and Telecommunications (EPUT).
A Board member may legally hold the position of Acting General Manager if they are not receiving a salary for the position and comply with relevant restrictions of Palau’s Code of Ethics, Title 33, Chapter 6.
Unlike Palau Public Utilities Corporation’s (PPUC) law that bars the PPUC Board of Directors from employment within PPUC, PNCC law and regulations are silent on whether the Board member can be appointed as employees of PNCC.
“While the Palau Public Utilities Corporation may be governed in some ways that are similar to the governance structure of PNCC, the Board of PNCC does not face restrictions of the same magnitude as the PPUC Board at this time,” stated the legal opinion.
PNCC Board of Directors placed PNCC’s CEO Leoben Teriong and its COO Myers Techitong on suspension and PNCC Board member Bradley Kumangai was appointed as acting CEO. After a week, the Board appointed Board member Jennifer Sugiyama as the Acting CEO until January 5.
Before the end of the suspension, both CEO Teriong and COO Techitong submitted their resignation and Board member Jennifer Sugiyama was re-appointed acting CEO until further notice.
The former CEO and COO were suspended after Senate questioned the awarding of a bid to a company Blue Arcus Technologies, to clean up PNCC’s core network from China-made technologies. The former managers of PNCC said they followed PNCC’s bidding regulations.
https://islandtimes.org/pncc-board-member-can-be-acting-ceo-senate-legal-opinion/
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Crypto exchange licensing will add value to digital residency law: Whipps
by Island Times
February 18, 2022
President Surangel Whipps Jr. said cryptocurrency exchange licensing would add value to thezdigital residency law.
On Wednesday, Whipps said 150 digital residency applications were approved. “And of course, the people who have signed up have questions themselves. They ask that now that they have been issued digital IDs, what’s the value and what can they do with it,” Whipps told reporters.
Palau launched the Digital Residency Program earlier this month with billionaire Tim Draper announced as Founding Digital Resident. The first version of the digital residency bill sought the establishment of a “cryptocurrency Exchange Licensing. The crypto exchange will allow Palau to license companies that conduct trading of cryptocurrencies, where people would exchange dollars for cryptocurrencies.
In the press conference Wednesday, the president said there is a need to revisit the crypto exchange licensing proposal. “One of the things that we need to look at, also, a part of the digital residency act is the crypto exchange licensing, one of the things we need to do is to work with an experienced legal person to help us draft a good legislation,” he said.
The president said that most of the digital residents would want to trade cryptocurrency. “There are other pieces of the legislation that need to be passed to help provide value to their digital residency because it doesn’t make sense to pay for it while can’t do anything with it,” he said. The digital residency program allows a non-citizen without being a physical resident of Palau to apply for a digital residency ID. The bearer of the digital residency ID can open digital accounts, apply for a legal name change certificate, establish a physical mailing address, and establish a digital phone number. (Island Times)
https://islandtimes.org/crypto-exchange-licensing-will-add-value-to-digital-residency-law-whipps/