Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The driver of a red truck, where officers allegedly found four medium-sized baggies containing a white crystalline substance. drug paraphernalia and a small baggie of marijuana in his possession, has been arrested and charged with unlawful possession of illegal drugs.

During his arrest, officers discovered that there is an arrest warrant in his name from October of last year where illegal drugs were also involved.

Onofia Polani, made his initial appearance in Court last month. He later waived his right to a preliminary examination and his case was bound over to High Court for arraignment last week.

Polani, 36, 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 5-10 years, a fine between $5,000- $20,000 or both.

Bail is set at $5,000.

THE CASE

Polani and another male, identified as Vaega Taulaga, a passenger, were in a truck driven by Polani when patrol officers pulled their vehicle over in Nu’uuli on Mar. 29, 2022 for having no lights over the license plate.

As the officer was speaking to Polani he became suspicious of the way Polani was acting, and as a result officers instructed both men to exit the vehicle.

Polani was told that the vehicle would be impounded at the TPS and both of them would be taken in for questioning. Both men followed police instructions.

Before they were transported, police conducted a body search on each of them. Nothing was found on the passenger, Taulaga, however, police discovered four medium-sized baggies containing a white crystalline substance inside Polani’s rear pocket, and inside his right pocket was a small stamp-sized baggie containing green leafy substance, along with paraphernalia.

When asked about the drugs and paraphernalia discovered in his possession, Polani responded by saying that he found the illegal drugs and paraphernalia inside the truck and he then picked the items up and put them inside his pockets.

He further stated to investigators that the truck belonged to his stepfather who was off island and he’s using it to transport his crops to the market because his truck is not running due to a mechanical problem.

Polani further stated to investigators that the reason he picked up the drugs and paraphernalia and put it inside his pockets was to prevent his friend from seeing it. He also didn’t want his friend to think that his stepfather is someone who has a drug problem.

Police interviewed the passenger (Taulaga) regarding the alleged incident.

According to Taulaga, he was at the volleyball match when Polani came up and asked him if he wanted go with him to Futiga to pick up his stuff, which he did. He told police he witnessed Polani doing the buy of 4 small stamp-sized baggies, and Polani putting the baggies inside his pockets before he came back to the truck.

During his interview, investigators informed Polani about an arrest warrant for his arrest from a case last year where drugs were allegedly found in his possession during a traffic stop.

ARREST WARRANT

The arrest warrant concerns an incident that happened on Oct. 12, 2021, where the driver of a vehicle pulled over by traffic officers for a traffic violation was arrested and officers found illegal drugs in his possession. However, the driver of the vehicle, Onofia Polani was not arrested.

When questioned about the glass pipe containing meth, the defendant immediately confessed to investigators that it belonged to him.

Polani was released to go back home in October of last year under an agreement with investigators that he would provide investigators with the names of people involved in selling illegal drugs.

According to the government, Polani however never provided any names of people involved in selling drugs.

When investigators attempted to arrest Polani, he was nowhere to be found, until his vehicle was pulled over last month for a traffic violation.

In this case Polani is now charged with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, meth, a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than five nor more than ten years and a fine of not less than $5,000 nor more than $20,000, or both.