U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson | U.S. Department of Justice
Shawn N. Anderson, the United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Peonie Cabrera, a 40-year-old resident of Saipan, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. The sentencing was delivered by Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood at the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands on December 10, 2024. Cabrera faced charges of two counts each of bank fraud and wire fraud.
Cabrera's sentence includes five years of supervised release after imprisonment, 100 hours of community service, restitution amounting to $249,706, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $400.
From January 2019 to August 2023, Cabrera held the position of Executive Director at the Northern Mariana Bar Association (NMBA). Her responsibilities involved managing membership fees. During her tenure, she misappropriated over $200,000 from NMBA funds through federally insured bank accounts for personal use. She created fraudulent payroll documents and paychecks for NMBA board members' signatures that were drawn from NMBA’s bank account payable to herself. Additionally, she withdrew cash from NMBA’s savings account on multiple occasions and used NMBA’s bank accounts to make numerous payments to her PayPal account for personal purposes.
United States Attorney Anderson commented on Cabrera's actions: “Cabrera’s lengthy criminal conduct left a trail of victims,” adding that bar members expect their payments to support legal profession activities like mock trials which benefit communities. He expressed hope that the court's sentence would deter similar offenses.
FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill emphasized law enforcement's commitment: “This sentencing is a reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement agency partners are dedicated to rooting out corruption within our communities.” He noted Cabrera's breach of trust by stealing over $150,000 from colleagues for personal gain and warned against using positions of power for unjust enrichment.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with prosecution led by Eric S. O’Malley, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
