Charges reduced in Plea Deal
KOROR, Palau – Murder charges against four Chinese nationals were dismissed in a plea agreement reached this week, resolving a case stemming from the December 2023 death of another Chinese national, 37-year-old Peng-Li.
The four defendants, Liu Xiaoyn, Fang Ye, Li Xinyu, and Li Songyan, were initially charged with second-degree murder and hindering prosecution in the first degree – both felonies – in connection with Peng-Li’s death. Peng-Li’s burned body was discovered in the Ewall area between Ngchesar and Melekeok on December 21, 2023.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the prosecution dropped the murder charges against all four defendants. In exchange, the defendants pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of manslaughter, another felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Three of the defendants – Fang Ye, Li Songyan, and Li Xinyu – received two-year prison sentences with the possibility of self-deportation during the last six months. They will each pay a $10,000 fine and be placed on Palau’s Undesirable List, effectively barring them from re-entry. Additionally, separate charges of possession and trafficking of controlled substances against these defendants will be dismissed.
Fang Ye received a steeper fine of $30,000. Mr. Ye have outstanding arrest warrants for various criminal violations in Saipan.
The sole female defendant, Liu Xiaoyn, pleaded no contest but did not face a reduced charge. Instead, she agreed to cooperate as a government witness. She will remain in custody until the conclusion of the trial, after which she can depart Palau upon providing proof of onward travel and will be escorted directly to the airport.