The co-defendant of a Tinian police officer accused of trafficking in methamphetamine or “ice” has agreed to plead guilty as part of an agreement with the U.S. government.

Carlos Aldan signed the plea agreement with the prosecution and asked the court to hold the change of plea hearing on Friday, July 23, at 10:30am.

U.S. District Court for the NMI visiting judge Robert Bryan granted the request.

On Friday, Aldan's co-defendant, Tinian Police Officer 1 Gilbert Macaranas pleaded guilty to count 2 of the indictment, charging him with distribution of a controlled substance, as part of a plea bargain.

Bryan accepted Macaranas' guilty plea and the agreement and ordered the U.S. Probation Office to submit a pre-sentence investigation report by Sept. 14, 2010.

Bryan set Macaranas' sentencing for Oct. 19, 2010.

According to the plea agreement, on July 22, 2009, Macaranas abetted Aldan in distributing “ice” on Tinian and that Macaranas used his patrol car to facilitate the distribution of “ice.” Macaranas also allowed Aldan to distribute “ice” in his patrol car.

The third person arrested and charged was Henry M. San Nicolas, an employee of the Tinian Mayor's Office and assigned at the Dog Control Program.

Macaranas, Aldan, and San Nicolas were arrested in May during a joint anti-meth operation conducted by Tinian police and Drug Enforcement Administration.