Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who was arrested by police in violation of the curfew imposed during COVID-19 Code RED declaration is now charged for violating local drug laws after police found a glass pipe containing meth on him.

Simona Lauago made his initial appearance in court last month.

He is charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth, a felony.

Bail is set at $5,000.

THE ALLEGATION

On the early morning of May 15, 2022 around 2:20 a.m, the Central Police Station contacted the Vice and Narcotics Unit (VNU) concerning a possible drug case at the TPS. Several detectives of the VNU proceeded to the TPS and met up with the police officers who had initiated the arrest of the defendant in this matter, Simona Lauago.

Patrolilng officers told investigators that they were on patrol heading west in the Malaeloa area when they came upon an unknown male and female walking on the road past curfew. This was near the intersection going to Malaeloa.

Officers stopped the couple and told them that they were in violation of the declaration. The two individuals were later identified as Simona Lauago and a female, also named in the police affidavit.

Officers detained the two, and informed them of the reason why they were being detained and that they were going to take them into the TPS for questioning.

Before they were placed in the police unit, they were patted down for weapons or contraband, and a glass pipe containing a white crystalline substance was discovered on Lauago, but nothing was found on the female. Both of them were transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Lauago was Mirandized and he said he wished to make a statement about the glass pipe found on him.

According to Lauago, he found the glass pipe with meth in it, inside a cigarette pack that he had found at the bus stop while he was walking.

The female was also interviewed by investigators and she stated that she had no idea how Lauago got the glass pipe, nor that it contained meth, nor that he had it. She only became aware of the issue when they were searched by police officers at the Malaeloa road intersection for violating the curfew.

The white crystalline substance was tested and the results yielded positive for meth.

Lauago was then booked and confined at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) awaiting the next sitting of court while the female individual was released to go home.