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Court Report: Man jailed for meth gets chance to get a job

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Joyetter@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man convicted of unlawful possession of illegal drugs was released from the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) for 3 months to seek and secure gainful employment.

If he’s unable to secure gainful employment, the court ordered him to report back to the TCF to serve the remaining balance of his period of detention.

The defendant, Tiapula Fiamatai, who had been in custody unable to post his $5,000 surety bond appeared in court last week for sentencing after he pled guilty to unlawful possession of methamphetamine (meth).

Fiamatai under a signed plea agreement with the government, pled guilty to the amended charge of unlawful possession of meth, a class D felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

Fiamatai admits that on Dec. 12, 2021, he possessed a glass pipe containing meth when cops searched him and his vehicle during a traffic stop.

When given the chance to address the court, Fiamatai apologized for his actions and begged to the court for a second chance to return home to provide for his family.

The defense asked the court for a probated sentence without any additional period of detention.

The government’s attorney seconded the request and asked the court to adopt the recommendation by the Probation office through the Pre Sentence Report (PSR).

After considering mitigating factors from both parties, along with the defendant’s statement, the court sentenced Fiamatai to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of $2,000. Execution of the sentence was suspended and he was placed on probation for 5 years subject to the usual conditions.

Execution of detention is as follows: Fiamatai shall serve 11 months, credited for the time he served while awaiting the outcome of his matter, which is 11 months.

In the meantime, the defendant shall be released for a period of 3 months in order to seek gainful employment.

SEMISI FILIMAUA

A man who is on probation for assault was arrested again by police on the allegation he violated local drug laws.

Semisi Filimau was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over by police last month in Nu’uuli where three small stamp-sized baggies containing a white crystalline substance were found in his pants pocket.

Filimaua made his initial appearance in court. He’s charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth, a felony, punishable by term of imprisonment from 5 to 10 years, a fine not more than $20,000, or both.

Bail is set at $5,000 and preliminary examination is scheduled for Monday next week.

The government claims that on the early morning of Oct. 20, 2022, four police officers patrolling the Nu’uuli public highway observed a speeding vehicle with no light on its license plate and also with expired tags

The vehicle was stopped, and three males were inside the vehicle — driver and two passengers. One of the passengers was Filimaua, who was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, while the other passenger was sitting in the front passenger seat.

The driver of the vehicle was questioned and later issued four traffic citations and was released to go home after he was interviewed by officers. The man sitting in the front passenger seat was also released to go home after he was questioned by officers and no drugs were found on him.

However, Filimaua was arrested after he got out of the vehicle and took off running despite being told to get back into the vehicle. He was also seen throwing something out of his pocket across the road. He was apprehended and escorted back to the police unit before he was transported to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for questioning.

Filimaua was patted down for weapons and contraband and during the body search, officers found 3 small stamp- sized baggies containing a white crystalline substance inside Filimaua’s right pants pocket. The white crystalline substance was later tested, and was positive for meth.

Filimaua told officers he got the baggies containing meth from a person in Vaitogi for $70.

According to the driver of the vehicle, he did not know Filimaua was in possession of drugs when he got inside his vehicle. And that Filimaua had asked for a ride to Vaitogi when he was dropping his uncle off in Matu’u. The driver said Filimaua knew he was from Leone and that’s why he asked for a ride to Vaitogi.

SEUPULE SIO

A man accused of violating local drug laws has asked the court to set his matter for trial. Seupule Sio, who had been in custody since his arrest last year, unable to post a $15,000 surety bond, appeared in court this week for his pretrial conference.

When his case was called, Sio’s defense attorney informed that the court that they received discovery and an offer from the government, however, after reviewing and discussing it with his client, his client wished to exercise his rights to a jury trial.

Defense attorney informed the court that his client has maintained his innocence since the beginning.

Sio is charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, both unclassified felonies, punishable by imprisonment of not less than five nor more than 10 years, a fine of not less than $5,000 nor more than $20,000, or both.

The charge against Sio stems from an incident when police arrested him for assaulting a man during a drinking session at the victim’s home in Vaitogi last year. During a pat down, 3 small baggies containing meth and one small baggie containing a green leafy substance were allegedly found by police in Sio’s pants.

When questioned by cops, Sio stated that the evidence allegedly found inside his pocket was planted by the victim and and his men and that’s why he assaulted the victim while his men fled the scene.

ALESANA LAALOI

A man who is on probation for stealing was arrested again by police on the allegation he violated local drug laws.

Alesana Laaloi was the driver of a vehicle pulled over by traffic officers last week, Nov. 8, 2022 for a traffic violation and drugs were found inside the vehicle and in the driver’s possession.

The government claims that on the early morning of Tuesday, Nov. 8, a woman, later identified as the driver of another vehicle contacted the TPS stating that a white pickup truck was speeding in the Nu’uuli area and it had almost collided with her vehicle.

The caller further stated to police that she, her grandmother and her two young children were in their vehicle when the incident happened.

Officers responded to the call and spotted the white pickup truck in the Nu’uuli area and initiated a traffic stop in front of CBT.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Alesana Laaloi — there were no passengers. Laaloi did not have his driver’s license on him, only his expired Immigration ID on him. Laaloi asked cops for permission to reach inside his pocket looking for his expired immigration ID.

As the defendant was looking for his expired immigration ID, one officer looking from outside the vehicle allegedly saw an empty cut up straw lying under the passenger seat. The defendant was asked about the empty cut up straw lying under the passenger’s seat and his response was, “I don’t see anything like that inside my car.”

The defendant was instructed to step out of his vehicle and was patted down for weapons or contraband. During a body search, cops found 2 small baggies containing a green leafy substance inside his rear pants pocket, along with 2 hand rolled joints also containing a green leafy substance inside his wallet.

The defendant was transported to the TPS for further investigation. His vehicle was also impounded at the TPS.

During an inventory search of the vehicle in the presence of the defendant, cops found a glass pipe containing a white crystalline substance under the driver’s seat, along with 2 cut up straws also containing a white crystalline substance lying under the passenger’s seat.

Laaloi was Mirandized and agreed to speak to investigators regarding the contraband found during the traffic stop.

He admitted that the drugs found on him and inside his vehicle belonged to him.

Laaloi made his initial appearance in court. He’s charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, both felonies.

Bail is set at $10,000 and preliminary examination is Friday this week.