Ads by Google Ads by Google

Court Report

FELONY CHARGES TO BE FILED IN ALLEGED BURGLARY CASE

A man who allegedly walked into a store, pressed the cash register open and took off with $1,000+ made his initial appearance in District Court yesterday.  Ieremia Cameron is currently charged with Public Peace Disturbance; however the government is looking at filing additional charges against him in this case.

According to the government’s case, police received a call from a Chinese woman asking for assistance, saying that the defendant took off with money from her store. Police responded to the call and were provided with video footage of the alleged incident.

Court filings say the defendant was accompanied by Wayne Peleiupu, who also appeared in court yesterday. Peleiupu is also charged with PPD, but the government may file additional charges against him as well.

 The footage had the two defendants at the store counter to buy a soda; they counted their coins several times and told the cashier that they did not have enough.

Cameron had a shirt wrapped around his head, while Peleiupu was wearing a sweater and he had the hood on, say court filings. It's alleged a police officer walked into the store to do some shopping and the cashier told him what was happening with the defendants. The police officer told them to go home.

The officer left the store and then Cameron re-entered the store, while the cashier was walking around the counter. It's alleged Cameron pressed the cash register and grabbed the stack of $20 bills and took off. Court filings say the cashier went after the defendant but was unsuccessful, and Cameron got away.

Police searched for Cameron near his residence in Vaitogi, however police were informed the defendant was staying at his girlfriend’s residence in Nu’uuli. Police proceeded to Nu’uuli to his girlfriend’s house where the defendant was found, along with Peleiupu.

Court filings say the police officers contacted Deputy Attorney General Mitzie Jessop about the incident and she instructed the police to arrest the defendants. Both are being held on bail of $2,000 each.

CHELLETTE FOSTER METULI ENTERS GUILTY PLEA

A woman who stole a credit card to purchase airline tickets has entered into a plea agreement with the government. Chellete Foster Metuli was charged with two counts of stealing and two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card counts. However the plea agreement has it that Metuli would enter a guilty plea to one count of stealing and one count of fraudulent use of a credit card while the other stealing and fraudulent use counts would be dismissed.

Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond accepted the plea agreement and dismissed the remaining charges.

According to the government’s case a woman walked into the police station on Aug. 29, 2012 to report that her credit card had been stolen and used to purchase two (2) Hawaiian Airlines tickets. 

The victim told police that on Aug. 28, 2012, she noticed the two fraudulent purchases on her bank account for the purchase of the airline tickets and she notified Bank of Hawaii to dispute the transactions.

Bank of Hawaii told the victim the purchases were for airline tickets issued to a man and woman each in the amount of $876.70 for a total of $1,753.40. 

The victim approached Metuli who allegedly admitted that she took the victim’s credit card information out of the victim’s wallet, which the victim had left on her desk.

Police interviewed Metuli, who said she used the victim’s card after $1,500 given to her by a friend to purchase airline tickets was stolen out of her bag at work.

Sentencing for Metuli has been set on Feb. 21, 2013.

INMATE CHARGED WITH ESCAPE WHILE  ON WORK RELEASE IN HIGH COURT

Inmate To’oto’o Seumalo yesterday waived his rights to reading of charges against him and entered a not guilty plea to the one count of escaping while on work release.

During his arraignment in the High Court before Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond, Seumalo through his attorney Assistant Public Defender Mike White asked the court for a pre-trial conference date in 45 days. Richmond set his pre-trial conference for Seumalo next month.

According to the government's case the Vice and Narcotics unit with the Department of Public Safety were assigned to investigate possible ongoing escapes by several inmates at the TCF while out on work release and Seumalo is among those inmates, say court documents.

Court filings say on Sept. 2, 2011 the defendant was tested positive for marijuana through a drug test that was administered and his work release privilege was revoked. It's alleged the defendant admitted to the police that while on work release, he and other inmates went home from their work at the construction site in Pago Pago to visit families on several occasions.

Other inmates already charged in this matter corroborate the information provided by the defendant.