FBI Raids in Northern Mariana Islands Lead to Seizure of Over $300,000 in Alleged Money Laundering Case

Following the high-profile raids of various offices in the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) last November, the US Attorney for Guam and the CNMI took action. On December 30, 2022, they filed an asset forfeiture complaint in the US District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Seizure of Over $300,000

The complaint aimed to seize over $300,000 from two accounts at the Bank of Saipan. according to the complaint:

1. The seizure precedes potential criminal indictments.
2. The alleged crimes involve wire fraud, money laundering, bribery, and tax evasion.
3. A foreign entity, “Foreign Parent Company,” is also implicated.

Alleged Parties Involved

Identified in the complaint are:

1. A local CNMI resident, A.Y.
2. Marianas Consultancy Services (MCS), a company registered in the CNMI for “banking and financial services, real estate development, and business management.”
3. Two individuals, “Individual 1” and “Individual 2,” local residents and partners in CNMI businesses.
4. Two local political figures, “Individual 3” and “Individual 4,” who owe a fiduciary duty to the CNMI citizens.

Previous Investigations

Information about MCS and its owner, A.Y., was previously published in January 2020 by Kandit News. This report mentioned the seizure of accounts belonging to Alfred Yue, MCS’s owner, from both the Bank of Saipan and Bank of Guam.

1. The document detailing 30 persons and entities under investigation following the November raids revealed that Yue’s accounts had been seized.
2. The complaint does not mention the $145,803.34 seized from Bank of Guam.

Ongoing Investigation

As the investigation continues, more details about the alleged money laundering conspiracy in the Northern Mariana Islands are expected to come to light. Stay tuned for further developments.