A judge in the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) has ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to seize assets of Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific International LLC (IPI) to help pay a $5.4 million judgment against the operator in a lawsuit brought by seven former construction workers.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI ordered the seizure after a request by the plaintiffs in the case, who had accused the operator of labor violations and human trafficking. The request was made after IPI failed to pay the cash sum awarded to the plaintiffs.
The writ allows the 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 are in Imperial Palace Saipan’s main hotel lobby.
The latest order 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 owed to a former contractor.
