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Serial escapee set for sentencing

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A prisoner accused of escaping from confinement three times has entered into a plea agreement with the government.

Logoitino Amituana’i, who is still in custody, serving time for a previous conviction, appeared in court last week for a Change of Plea hearing.

He was initially charged in two separate cases. In each of the cases, Amituana’i was charged with escape from confinement, a felony.

But under a plea agreement with the government, accepted by the court, Amituana’i pled guilty to escape from confinement, punishable by imprisonment of up 5 years, a fine of up to $5,000 or both.

Amituana’i admits that on July 4, 2018, he escaped from the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) while serving a 15-year sentence for a first degree burglary conviction five years ago.

In return for his guilty plea, the government would ask the court to dismiss the second case against him. Moreover, as part of the plea agreement, the government agreed not to charge Amituana’i for a third incident whereby he escaped from TCF in the beginning of this year.

Amituana’i is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 9th for sentencing.

MICHAEL FAALUPEGA

A man accused of unlawful possession of drugs last year pled guilty in High Court last week during a Change of Plea hearing.

Michael Faalupega, 45, was initially charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).

Under a plea agreement with the government, accepted by the court, Faalupega pled guilty to the amended charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), a class D felony punishable by imprisonment of not more than 5 years and a fine of not more than $5,000 or both.

With his plea, Faalupega admits that on Oct. 19, 2018 he had in his possession a glass pipe containing meth.

According to the government’s case, Faalupega’s name surfaced when police questioned two juveniles who were each found with a marijuana joint in their possession. Both juveniles were charged in the Juvenile Court.

When questioned by police, one of the two juveniles said a man by the name of “Spunky” gave him 3 marijuana joints.

When police went looking for Faalupega, they found him in front of a store in Tafuna with some friends.

When police searched the defendant, they found a glass pipe containing meth, and 2 cut straws containing meth.

Faalupega, who remains in custody unable to post a $5,000 surety bond, is set to appear in court Aug. 16th for sentencing.