The US Marshals Service has been ordered to seize assets owned by Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC, including gaming machines, computers and furniture, to help pay a US$5.4 million judgement in favor of seven former construction workers.
According to local media reports, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI granted the request by the workers last week to seize property, issuing a writ of execution after the company failed to comply with the judgement order awarding the cash sum to the plaintiffs in May. The workers had accused IPI of labor violations and human trafficking.
The writ allows the US Marshals to seize IPI property “including but not limited to: (1) all computer hardware, furniture and equipment, motor vehicles, and casino gaming machines identified in the ‘List of Assets’ filed by IPI’s attorney on March 3, 2021, and (2) the two crystal dragons hanging in the IPI casino that are identified in IPI’s March 8, 2021 filing in a different civil lawsuit that involved IPI.”
The crystal dragons currently take pride of place in Imperial Palace · Saipan’s main hotel lobby.
News of this latest writ comes just week after a similar order was issued for IPI’s slot machines and vehicles to be sold to help satisfy a US$2.1 million debt owing to a former contractor.
Imperial Palace · Saipan, closed since March 2020 due to COVID-19, recently had its casino license suspended for six months with the threat it could be revoked if the company doesn’t make good on certain financial obligations under its casino license.
