Corrupt cops within the Guam Marshals service, the court probation office, and the Department of Corrections, with the help of politically-connected officials, were involved in conspiracies that trafficked narcotics into Guam, kept offenders out of jail, allowed inmates to be released from prison, laundered money from the proceeds of drug sales, brought cocaine from Saipan, and coerced women with drug charges to have sex with them.
These were the allegations and implications brought forward by Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Rafael Fernandez in his September 23, and September 27, 2019 sealed applications for search warrants for the cellular phones of ex-Yona Mayor Jesse Blas, and former DOC deputy director Joey Terlaje. The documents were unsealed this week in the U.S. District Court of Guam.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: A search through publicly-filed cases in the federal court system reveals no criminal cases against Mr. Terlaje. Mr. Terlaje must be presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, according to our system of justice]
Mr. Blas was recently released from federal custody, having served his sentence in a public corruption and drug trafficking case directly related to these recently-unsealed documents.
Mr. Terlaje was implicated by Mr. Fernandez in the case during Blas’s federal trial as an alleged co-conspirator. There are no publicly-visible federal cases against Mr. Terlaje. Attorney General Leevin Camacho, however, successfully obtained a local indictment against Terlaje, also the former head of the Superior Court of Guam marshals service. The indictment is for crimes he allegedly committed that also are related to the Blas federal case and to the recently-unsealed warrants.
Terlaje accused of abusing position as marshals chief to stop inquiry into Jesse Blas and have woman arrested
Mr. Terlaje – the son of Sen. Jose “Pedo” Terlaje, chairman of the legislature’s committee with oversight of the island’s law enforcement agencies – was indicted in December 2021 for his alleged role in the 2017 assault, kidnapping, and extrajudicial detention of an FBI federal cooperating defendant (FCD). The case has yet to go to trial. Mr. Terlaje’s attorney has claimed the OAG brought the case too late, as the statute of limits has expired on the charges.
According to the recently-unsealed search warrant application for Terlaje’s phone, “on one occasion in 2017, the FCD was at a party with Blas, Terlaje, and several others. The FCD said that [she] had introduced Terlaje to a female, that Terlaje told the FCD that he wanted to have sex with. Terlaje then told the FCD, that the FCD should introduce Terlaje to another female. The FCD then told Terlaje ‘you already have one girl, what do you have two dicks?’ The FCD overheard Terlaje tell Blas that Blas should handle his girl. The FCD then turned around and remembers getting punched in the face by Blas. The FCD wanted to flee, and get into a vehicle. Blas pulled the FCD out of the vehicle and the FCD into the house. The FCD was left in the house for approximately three days and was not able to leave.”
Mr. Fernandez told the court that the FCD reported what happened to her to the local probation office. Photos of WhatsApp messages between Terlaje and Blas that Mr. Fernandez appended to the application show an alleged conspiracy between the two for Terlaje to use his power to both stop a local inquiry into Blas, and to have the FCD arrested.
The following conversation occurred between Terlaje and Blas according to the screenshots of the WhatsApp conversation provided by the FBI:
TERLAJE: Par no appreciation from [FCD]
BLAS: None. Probation should lock her up.
TERLAJE: She mentioned everything to Probation. I’m just concerned that now probation has an obligation to look in to matters. Incident at ranch. Also about me and [name redacted] there and not doing anything about it.
BLAS: But we did. The situation was diffused.
TERLAJE: That’s not what she said.
BLAS: What exactly did she say
TERLAJE: When do you come back? Let’s talk about it when u get back. For now, enjoy yourself.
BLAS: Next week.
TERLAJE: K. Be safe.
BLAS:If she said so much. But post a pic of holding a firearm and ice next to her then she should be picked up if she violated any of her conditions.
TERLAJE: Yes I will have her picked up on Tuesday.
BLAS: She will probably test positive as well. She swears to me that she did not smoke.
The following day (September 3, 2017):
TERLAJE: Pare. Where’s the pics? Wat doing. Par, I’m gonna have probation violate [FCD] tomorrow.
BLAS: Based on the pic or something else that.
TERLAJE: Yes. I thought you coming in tomorrow.
BLAS: Wow I wish she didn’t post those pic.
TERLAJE: Send the Bebe pics
Further down in the conversation on a discernible date, but prior to September 8, 2017:
TERLAJE: Par I need to ask u something when u get back. I need help with something.
BLAS: Of course pare.
TERLAJE: It’s 10-61 here. Your all good to go. Boys not going to entertain anything. 10-61
BLAS: [thumbs up emoji] I love you my pare.
TERLAJE: Par, I got yo back. Par disconnect yourself from [name redacted] and [FCD]. Bad news! Par [FCD] talking about you and lovelia.
[Lovelia, according to the Blas warrant, is a reference to federal drug convict Lovelia Mendoza, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence on other charges]
BLAS: Like what is she saying pare. How did you confirm
TERLAJE: Accepting money. Probation. Disconnect.
BLAS: Really. Pare lock it up.
TERLAJE: Par you said to 10-9. I’ll have Probation work on it now.
BLAS: Pare make sure you get my phone pls.
TERLAJE: K
BLAS: Pare never mind. I’ll just move on. She eventually will get herself back in. We got better things to do. I’ll just shut phone down.
TERLAJE: K
BLAS: [thumbs up emoji]
On October 4, 2017:
TERLAJE: K. K they got her. 10-61 plenty drugs and guns. ATF on their way. She’s was the only one in the room.
TERLAJE: [picture of the FCD]
On October 5, 2017:
TERLAJE: Par I’m here on the grounds. Par, I just got word that [FCD] talking a lot of sh*t in jail about me, you and [name redacted]
BLAS: Like what kind of info. She’s got nothing on us. Good source and what being said
TERLAJE: I’ll find out tomorrow
BLAS: K pare
Second FCD: Blas & Terlaje targeted women with drug problems and trafficked them sexually
“In February of 2018, another federal cooperating defendant (hereinafter referred to as ‘FCD-2’) was interviewed by law enforcement,” Mr. Fernandez’s application for the Terlaje search warrant states. According to FCD-2. According to Fernandez, FCD-2 was incarcerated on local drug charges in March 2017 and continued to face those charges when she became FCD-2. She had been testing positive for methamphetamine use during her pre-trial release, according to the Fernandez statement.
“The individual indicated that Blas and Terlaje had assisted [her] in avoiding incarceration despite having an outstanding warrant,” the federal document alleges. “FCD-2 told law enforcement that [she] went to lunch the next day with Blas, Terlaje, and [name redacted]. Blas, Terlaje, and [name redacted] informed FCD-2 that they would help FCD-2 out with [her] probation and keep FCD-2 out of jail. After this lunch, FCD-2 entered into a relationship with Blas.”
FCD-2 told law enforcement that she had provided both Blas and Terlaje with packages of methamphetamine.
“FCD-2 stated that Blas and Terlaje would target women with drug problems who were willing to engage in sexual activities in exchange for methamphetamine,” Mr. Fernandez stated in his application for the Terlaje search warrant.
She tested positive multiple times at the court probation office, along with other violations. “FCD-2 said that she would get cleared every time because of Blas and Terlaje’s assistance. FCD-2 said that Blas and Terlaje assisted other drug traffickers in avoiding probation violations.”
Months later, assistant U.S. Attorney Rosetta San Nicolas went before a U.S. District Court in Honolulu to open a Grand Jury, through which thousands of wire tapped conversations targeting public and police corruption defendants have been coursing through. The Grand Jury remains open according to the latest filings.
FBI undercover source reveals conspiracy to release inmates from DOC
Some time before October 3, 2018, the FBI planted a confidential human source (CHS) into the Blas-Terlaje alleged conspiracy.
“On December 11, 2018, FBI and USPIS Agents conducted a consensual recorded phone call in order to meet with Blas in person,” Mr. Fernandez wrote in his application for the Blas warrant. The CHS in this instance is the person who conspired with Mr. Blas to use cluster mail boxes in Yona to traffic packages of narcotics into Guam.
“The CHS told Blas that the CHS wanted to meet with Blas to provide him his share of a package received via the postal box previously provided by Blas,” the document states. “The CHS brought up seeing Blas and Joey Terlaje previously and asked Blas if the CHS was in trouble as Terlaje is police. Blas said don’t worry about Joey, he is Blas’ pare. During the meeting the CHS told Blas she received a package and handed it off to her point of contact.”
According to the warrant application, the CHS on that occasion and others gave Mr. Blas his share of the proceeds of what Blas believed to be meth sales. On a separate occasion, the CHS again brought up her worry of Terlaje’s association with Blas. These were all done at the behest of the FBI.
On June 19, 2019, the FBI agent directed the CHS to conduct an audio and video recorded meeting with Blas. “CHS told Blas that the CHS has a cousin that is confined at the Department of Corrections in Mangilao, Guam. The CHS told Blas that the CHS’s family is willing to pay $15,000 so that the cousin can be released from jail for a few days. Blas told the CHS that ‘Joey’ will help. Blas told the CHS that there will be four people that need to be paid, in order to help the CHS with releasing the CHS’s cousin from jail for a few days.”
Release of a cop killer from jail
“The CHS told Blas that the CHS’s family is putting together a lot of money so that the family members have the opportunity to see the cousin who has been in jail for several years,” the Fernandez document states. “There is a family member from Hawaii that will be traveling to Guam and wants to spend a few days with the CHS’s cousin. The CHS told Blas that the cousin received a 25 year sentence, and was involved in an incident that caused the death of a police officer. Blas told the CHS that Blas is familiar with ‘that’ case and that Blas can help the CHS. Blas asked the CHS to write down the name of CHS’s cousin. The CHS told Blas that the cousin is ‘Jaieme Isawa.’ The CHS told Blas that the family would like to see Isawa for two or three days. Blas and the CHS agreed to talk later.”
The allegations Mr. Blas used his position in concert with his ‘pare’ Mr. Terlaje to keep probation offenders out of jail, and to take inmates out of prison for days at a time, came forth during Blas’s federal corruption trial, and in documents related to the Mark Mayo federal drug case.
‘The cocaine comes from Saipan’
According to the Blas warrant application, federal agents have the ex-Yona mayor on tape conspiring with the CHS to traffic in cocaine from Saipan.
“The CHS asked Blas if he knew where the CHS would be able to purchase cocaine,” the document states. “Blas told the CHS that cocaine is difficult to send via the mail because it can be detected. Blas told the CHS that dogs can sniff the cocaine and easily detect it. Blas said that cocaine is different than meth, because meth does not have an odor. Blas told the CHS that as far as he knows, cocaine comes into Guam from Saipan via the water in a boat. Blas said that cocaine is expensive.”
That conversation happened on January 3, 2019.
On January 17, 2019, the CHS asked Blas if he was ready to sell the CHS two ounces of cocaine. “Blas told the CHS that his people were ready the other night, but that the CHS was not ready. Blas told the CHS that he did not know if his people still had cocaine because it goes fast. Blas told the CHS cocaine comes from Saipan and asked the CHS if the CHS has someone in Saipan that can obtain cocaine and send it to Guam. The CHS told Blas that the CHS is available to travel to Saipan. Blas told the CHS that he can help the CHS obtain cocaine in Guam or Saipan.”
Superior Court’s denial of improprieties, and Terlaje’s father’s painting of FCD as non-credible witness
In March of 2021, and following the unsealing of documents in the Mark Mayo case that alleged corruption at the Superior Court and the DOC, the Guam Legislature held an oversight hearing into the court.
During that hearing, attorney Alicia Limtiaco and other court officials vehemently denied knowledge of any wrongdoing, and suggested no one had the access to falsify or quash warrants.
Court officials described the process of issuing and vacating warrants and said they reviewed their system to determine that no improprieties were found.
Mr. Terlaje’s father – Sen. Jose Terlaje, who chairs the legislative law enforcement committee – then began asking questions related to any pending investigations into his son. He even mentioned the name of the woman, who told federal investigators Blas and his son were involved in her assault and illegal detention: Vickilyn Manglona Teregeyo.
“(Teregeyo) reported to the social media that she was illegally detained at the Department of Corrections because Superior Court marshals made up a warrant of arrest. And I think with the presentations of the staff at the Superior Court that I listened to, I think this is almost impossible – I don’t think this is possible,” Jose Terlaje said. “I just wanted to ask … is that really possible?”
Kristina Baird, the administrator of the courts, told the senator she could not address the specific allegations.
“Was there any formal complaint or any misconduct filed by the court by (Vickilyn) Teregeyo, or did anyone that was present at a barbecue back in 2017 that my son – and marshals were there, probation officers were there – that my son assaulted, tied her up for three days, and beat her up and everything, was there any report of that incident happening?” Jose Terlaje asked.
“This lady, Teregeyo, and I guess you know who she is, had mentioned that she was assaulted by Joey (Terlaje) in the presence of marshals and probation officers. And that my son tied her up for three days, assaulted her. And I just wanted to find out was there any complaint filed by Vickilyn Teregeyo regarding that incident,” he said.
Baird again said she could not comment.
“When we checked with the Guam Police Department or even the court, there was no complaint made by this one individual,” Sen. Terlaje said.
“And the reason why there was no complaint, because I would think that it didn’t happen at all,” the senator concluded.
This assessment is in direct contradiction to the information Mr. Fernandez provided to the federal court in his applications for search warrants on both Blas and Terlaje.
