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A man who pleaded guilty to shipping stolen motorcycles to the Philippines in care packages known as "balikbayan" boxes was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Monday to 18 months in prison.
Michael Anthony Domingo, 35, has until July 22 to turn himself in to begin serving his sentence. In the meantime he remains free on $25,000 unsecured, signature bond.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ordered Domingo to pay $22,500 restitution to the owners of two stolen motorcycles.
Domingo is one of six people who federal authorities say have been sending stolen motorcycles to the Philippines for at least two years. Of the remaining five defendants, three have also pleaded guilty and will face sentencing in September. The other two are awaiting trial.
All six were charged late last year with conspiracy and exporting stolen motor vehicles and parts. The charging documents accuse them of buying motorcycles on Oahu that they knew were stolen, disassembling them and packing the motorcycle parts into balikbayan boxes for shipment to the Philippines.
Domingo told investigators it typically took seven balikbayan boxes to ship one complete motorcycle.
At least one other defendant admitted that he also packed motorcycle parts into plastic drums for shipment.
Federal investigators said Domingo took orders for motorcycles online on his Facebook account from contacts in the Philippines. Then he and the others bought the stolen motorcycles to fill the orders.
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