SAIPAN — Corrections Officer Cleon Otto Reyes Pacho and Regina Visitacion Camacho Bowie made their initial appearances Thursday in CNMI Superior Court before Judge Kenneth Govendo, one day after criminal complaints were filed charging both with promoting prison contraband.
Court documents filed Wednesday identify Pacho, 20, as the corrections officer and Bowie, 37, as the female suspect arrested March 24 following a joint operation by the DPS Criminal Investigations Bureau and DOC Internal Affairs. Bail for each was set at $25,000.
According to the affidavit of probable cause sworn by DPS Detective Jonathan Joe N. Aguon, the operation began the evening of March 24 after DOC Captain Benjamin Lizama tipped off police that drugs and other contraband were expected to be smuggled into the facility. CIB operatives and DOC Internal Affairs officers were briefed and set up surveillance north of the facility.
At approximately 7:45 p.m., CIB operatives observed a red Toyota Corolla pull into the northern employee parking lot of DOC. Pacho walked out toward the vehicle and a female exited from the front passenger door holding a plastic bag. The female handed the bag to Pacho and the vehicle departed. CIB operatives pursued the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop along Chalan Kiya, Monsignor Guerrero Road. The driver was identified as Jose Blas and the passenger as Regina Bowie.
Inside the facility, DOC Internal Affairs and Capt. Lizama stopped Pacho and searched the bag he was carrying. Inside, investigators found zip lock bags containing what appeared to be marijuana and a crystalline substance, along with barbecue sticks, three sodas, smokeless tobacco and lighters. The crystalline substance tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, weighing approximately 0.96 grams.
Pacho was placed under arrest at approximately 8:50 p.m. Bowie was arrested at 9:09 p.m. at the scene of the traffic stop and transported to DOC.
In a follow-up interview conducted March 25, Pacho told investigators he was working the 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift in POD 4 when he received a phone call from a female who said she had food for an inmate named Max outside. Pacho said he stepped out through the staff entrance, saw a female exit a vehicle holding a plastic bag, and accepted it without knowing what was inside. He said he was heading to bring it to main control when he was stopped by Capt. Lizama.
Bowie told investigators she and Blas had driven from Kagman II straight to DOC. She said Blas told her an officer would exit the facility and asked her to hand the bag to that officer. She said she did so and the two left before being pulled over by police.
