The trial of DHL heir Larry Imeong Hillbroom in connection with his previous drug trafficking arrest in 2016 will commence next month, following a jury selection on June 25, according to Attorney General Ernestine Rengiil.

Hillbroom faces a sentence of 25-50 years in jail if found guilty. Hillbroom is also separately charged last year for yet another alleged methamphetamine trafficking and possession.

Hillbroom is a son of DHL founder Larry Hillblom although their surnames are spelled differently.

In 2016, he was arrested after the seizure of 160 grams of methamphetamine and pleaded not guilty to a trafficking charge.

According to court documents, the first case against Hillbroom, two women who were arrested with the drugs following a flight from Manila to Palau claimed that the suspect “offered to pay them when they arrived in Palau”.

The documents allege Hillbroom paid for the women’s airline tickets and they recorded a phone call to him in which he acknowledged his role in the plan.

The jury trial is for the 2016 case filed against Hillbroom.

In October 2017, Hillbroom was arrested in the state of Peleliu by drug enforcement operatives.

Based on court documents, the Attorney General’s Office filed two counts of trafficking a controlled substance against Hillbroom for the arrest last year.

According to court documents, Narcotics Enforcement Agency (NEA) was assigned to investigate a case involving a suspected drug trafficking involving another person in April.

Through a confidential informant, the NEA arranged a buy-bust operation but instead found Hillbroom in the arranged area and made contact with the CI and conducted the transaction selling a quantity of methamphetamine.

In May, NEA again conducted another operation and alleged Hillbroom sold the illegal drugs to a confidential informant.

With this, Attorney General said Hillbroom is also scheduled to appear in court on May 31 on government’s motions to revoke Hillbroom’s bond.

Government prosecutors have earlier filed a motion in court to try Hillbroom cases together.  (Bernadette H. Carreon)