Three Guam residents tied to a charitable bingo operation have been sentenced in federal courtroom after prosecutors mentioned they siphoned greater than $10 million away from youngsters needing medical remedy and used the cash for themselves.
The convictions stem from the Guam Shrine Membership’s Hafa Adai Bingo parlor in Tamuning, which authorities mentioned operated for years whereas falsely presenting itself as a fundraiser supporting journey for kids in search of care at Shriners Hospital for Youngsters in Hawaii.
Jose Arthur “Artwork” Chan Jr., 77, obtained a 60-month jail sentence on Might 12. His spouse, Christine Chan, 64, was sentenced the identical day to 70 months behind bars. Michael Marasigan, 54, was sentenced in absentia on Might 18 to 262 months in jail after authorities mentioned he fled earlier than sentencing.
Federal prosecutors mentioned Marasigan traveled to South Korea whereas awaiting sentencing, prompting the FBI to proceed trying to find him as a fugitive. Court docket data confirmed he failed to seem for scheduled proceedings earlier than the decide imposed the sentence with out him current.
A federal jury convicted all three defendants in Might 2025 on fees together with conspiracy to function an unlawful playing enterprise, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and cash laundering conspiracy. Christine Chan and Marasigan have been additionally discovered responsible on further cash laundering counts.
Officers element years-long scheme bingo fraud in Guam
In line with prosecutors, the operation ran from March 2015 by the top of 2021 and generated roughly $34 million in gross bingo income. Investigators mentioned greater than $10.7 million in web proceeds was diverted for private spending as an alternative of charitable work related to the Shriners group.
Proof offered throughout trial confirmed the bingo corridor promoted itself as serving to pay airfare and journey prices for kids and guardians touring from Guam to Hawaii for medical remedy. Prosecutors argued that gamers and donors believed their spending supported sick youngsters when a lot of the cash by no means reached that function.
Federal data confirmed solely about $140,378 in bingo proceeds from 2015 by 2020 went towards funds tied to the charitable mission. Prosecutors mentioned not one of the proceeds collected in 2021 supported the group’s acknowledged trigger.
The courtroom additionally ordered thousands and thousands of {dollars} in restitution and forfeiture. Marasigan alone was ordered to forfeit greater than $5.8 million.
“These defendants traded on the status of the Shriners Youngsters’s healthcare system to perpetrate their multi-million-dollar fraud,” U.S. Lawyer Shawn N. Anderson mentioned in a press release. “It was an unconscionable means to private achieve. We are going to make each effort to implement restitution and be sure that Marasigan and the Chans spend daily of their sentences in federal jail.”
Different defendants who cooperated with prosecutors, together with Juanita Capulong, Minda San Nicolas, Alfredo Leon Guerrero and Received Solar Min, obtained probationary or supervised launch sentences after pleading responsible.
Featured picture: Screenshot by way of KUAM Information
