Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A former U.S. Department of the Army employee, who is of Samoan ancestry, had pled not guilty at a federal court in Nevada to the theft of over $800,000 worth of federal government property.

Tamilo Pale Fe’a, also known as “T” and is 60-years old of Sparks, Nevada, is charged with theft of government property and access device fraud, according to the federal two-count indictment handed down on Mar. 23 this year by a federal grand jury in Reno, Nevada.

The indictment alleges that, from a time unknown but no earlier than Nov. 01, 2021, and continuing through approximately Dec. 31, 2021, Fe’a stole military heavy equipment, including vehicles, semi-trailers, generator trailers, flatbed trailers, refrigerator trailers, armored office trailers, tractors, and box vans from the Hawthorne Army Weapons Depot in Hawthorne, Nevada.

The total value of the stolen property was “at least $800,000”, according to the indictment.

The indictment further alleges that from September 2020 to August 2021, Fe’a made about 69 transaction-purchases with a fuel fleet credit card for his personal benefit at various gas stations in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and California.

Court documents show these purchases totaled “approximately $2,730.02”. The documents also identified the names of the gas stations where the purchases were made.

Fe’a made his initially appearance on May 8 where he entered a not guilty plea to the charges and released on his own personal recognizance. Jury trial is set to begin June 6 before U.S District Court Judge Anne Traum but early this week, the defense requested a continuation to February next year.

If convicted, Fe’a faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for theft of government property and a maximum of 15 years in prison for access device fraud. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties, according to a U.S Justice Department statement.