Linda Jean Pangelinan Palacios Sentenced for Unauthorized Access of a Protected Computer in Furtherance of Fraud

Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Linda Jean Pangelinan Palacios, age 48, from Dededo, Guam, was sentenced in the United States District Court of Guam to five months imprisonment for Unauthorized Access of a Protected Computer in Furtherance of Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1030(a)(4) and 1030(c)(3)(A).  The Court also ordered three years of supervised release following imprisonment and restitution of $5,625 to the Department of Revenue and Taxation, Government of Guam.  In addition, the defendant was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

Palacios was previously employed as a Driver’s License Examiner I with the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT), Motor Vehicle Division.  Between April 2015 and November 2015, Palacios used her access to the DRT’s computer system to create, process and issue fraudulent Guam driver’s licenses.  Palacios processed at least 75 fraudulent Guam driver’s licenses for her own financial benefit.  Palacios advised law enforcement that she entered information into the system when nobody was around, and she did not think she would ever get caught.

This case was a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Guam Police Department, and the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation.  The case was prosecuted by Stephen F. Leon Guerrero, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.