New Federal charges have been leveled against two Ketchikan residents that were arrested on amphetamine charges in February of this year.
Prosecutors allege Francisco Arca Seludo, 41 and his younger brother, Herman Arca Seludo Jr., 33, conspired to launder drug money through Western Union and MoneyGram from 2008 to February of this year, according to charging documents.
Both brothers entered not guilty pleas in court yesterday.
Francisco Seludo was arrested in February in the state of California by California Highway Patrol after they did a records check and found him to be in violation of his conditions of release. Fransisco was out on $10,000 bail at the time on another drug-related Alaska case.
Fransisco, two Ketchikan women, and several children were in the vehicle. There was a large amount of cash found in the vehicle and everyone had tickets to the Philippines. After being transported back to Alaska, Fransisco was charged with another felony for failure to appear in the felony case. He since pled guilty in that case and is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
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A few days later, Fransisco’s brother was arrested after a search warrant was executed at his residence and 30 grams of meth was found there. He was charged with third-degree drug misconduct for possession with intent to deliver and fourth-degree drug misconduct for using a building or vehicle to distribute drugs. He was also charged with a misdemeanor for violating release conditions in a December 2010 felony drug case.
Although attorneys for the two brothers say that plea deals had been already arraigned and the two were going to plead out, U.S. Magistrate Leslie Longenbaugh re-scheduled their change of plea hearing until next month.
The brothers, both from the Philippines entered their not guilty pleas on the new charges with the aid of a Tagalog interpreter after the magistrate explained to them their rights.