Ta’u Manua’s ASPA employee Laumaile Tali was arrested and charged last month on allegations of stealing money she had collected from payments made by residents and businesses in Manu’a.

Tali is charged with stealing and embezzlement, and each count is a class C felony which carries a jail term of up to seven years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, a fine equal to twice the amount gained from the commission of the crime up to a maximum of $20,000  or both fine and prison time. The defendant has since been released on bail.

According to the government’s case, the defendant was scheduled to arrive on Tutuila on May 9, 2014 to deposit approximately $6,000 in cash and checks from the ASPA Manu’a branch. However, the defendant did not show up at ASPA’s Tafuna office until May 13, 2014, where she claimed the money had been stolen.

Court filings say that defendant is a customer service agent and administrative assistant. “One of her duties is to collect water and power bill payments from residents in Manu’a and deliver those payments to ASPA’s Tafuna Office through its 24hour window. A Senior ASPA employee contacted the police, saying that the defendant “claimed the money had been stolen en route from Manu’a to Tutuila.”

On May 19, 2014 the matter was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Department of Public Safety. Court filings say police interviewed the defendant at her family’s residence in Pava’ia’i, where she stated that she was supposed to bring approximately $6,000 of ASPA’s money.

“Defendant admitted to stealing $1,200 of that money before she left Manu’a for Tutuila Island. She also claimed the remainder of the money was stolen by an unidentified person on the boat ride over to Tutuila.”

Tali is represented by the Public Defender’s office while prosecuting is Assistant Attorney General Jessica Bargmann. The matter is pending in High Court.

Samoa News understands the defendant had since been terminated from ASPA. Calls were made to Customer Service Manager Ryan Tuato’o, who explained the defendant has signed off on a statement admitting to stealing ASPA’s money and she’s currently paying the money back. Referring to customers who have been affected by this, Tuato’o said that their accounts have been credited.