Twice Convicted Drug Dealer Sentenced to 168 Months Imprisonment

Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Jesse Reyes Babauta, age 43, was sentenced in the United States District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands to 168 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Possess Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, a Schedule II Substance in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1)(b)(1)(C).  The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment, 100 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.  In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.

From September to November 2020, Jesse Reyes Babauta, managed and organized the importation of over 70 grams of methamphetamine into the CNMI through the United States Postal Service.  The drugs were hidden inside greeting cards.  In sentencing Babauta, the Court explicitly found that he used both fear and affection to involve other individuals in the illegal transport of controlled substances.  Babauta was also convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in federal court in 2013.

U.S. Attorney Anderson stated, “As this case demonstrates, repeat offenders can expect lengthy sentences as a result of federal prosecution.  I applaud the efforts of our law enforcement partners in continuing to target drug crimes in the CNMI.”

This case was a joint investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance from CNMI Customs Service.  This case was prosecuted by Garth R. Backe, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.