(U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Districts of Guam and the NMI) — Alicia A.G. Limtiaco, U.S.
attorney for the Districts of Guam and the NMI, announced that defendant
Francisco S. Pangelinan was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the NMI to
time served, followed by a three-year term of supervised release with
conditions that he not possess a firearm. He will also perform 100 hours of
community service.
Pangelinan will serve an additional six months of house
arrest on top of the eight months house arrest he had already completed.
His sentence was a
result of a plea agreement filed Jan. 18, 2012 for deprivation of rights under
color of law.
The conviction stemmed from a three-count indictment which
charged Pangelinan with deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation
of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 242.
On July 26, 2010, then a police officer, Pangelinan
unlawfully sprayed Felipe Kalen with pepper spray.
At sentencing, Pangelinan apologized to Kalen and
acknowledged that he exceeded the force needed to deal with an ongoing argument
at that time.
Kalen accepted the apology and stated in court that he
forgave the defendant.
Pangelinan is no longer employed by the CNMI Department of
Public Safety.
The case was investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau
of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick A.
Black.