Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man accused of assaulting a man with a knife has entered into a plea agreement with the government. 

Ioapo Lafaele, who has been in custody since his arrest in 2020 appeared in court last month for his Change of Plea (COP) hearing. 

Lafaele, 40, was initially charged with a class A felony first-degree assault, which carries a punishment of life imprisonment or at least 30 years in jail. But under a plea agreement with the government, Lafaele pled guilty to the lesser felony of second-degree assault, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 5 years, or a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

With his guilty plea, Lafaele admits that on Sept. 20, 2020 at his land, he stabbed the victim two times with a knife causing severe injuries to him.

According to terms of the plea agreement, the charges against Lafaele stem from an incident where he stabbed another man with a knife when he found the man stealing from his land.

Sentencing is scheduled for Apr. 24 and Lafaele is still in custody, unable to post a $25,000 surety bond.