Six of the defendants in Pago Pago drug raid in early November now charged in court
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Loe Iopu is held on bail of $10,000 on drugs charges in relation to a police raid in Pago Pago earlier this month.
Iopu is one of the six defendants charged from the raid and he appeared last week before the court. The other co-defendant’s are Meriko Lomu, Desmond Tupa’i, David Iosefa, Lasiera Loke and Vaatausili Toimoana.
Iopu faces one count of possession of a controlled substance, a felony.
Prosecuting the matter is Assistant Attorney General Angela Drummond while an Assistant Public Defender represents Iopu.
According to the government’s case on November 11, 2022, the Vice and Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant on the residence of Aiava Semi, where three out of eight targets were caught including five unknown individuals.
The criminal complaint says the other four individuals were caught near the residence and during the execution of the warrant Loke, Iosefa, and Toimoana were also apprehended.
“They were detained and were taken into the Police headquarters for further questioning,” the court affidavit notes.
Upon arrival at the station Iopu was taken in for questioning about the glass pipe that was found in a bag in the vehicle that was impounded. The bag contained crystalline substance.
“Before questioning Iopu, he refused to waive his rights and didn’t want to go to give a written statement.
“The crystalline substance was tested by a Major Vaina Vaofanua at around 18:42 utilizing the methamphetamine field test kit. The result came back positive for Methamphetamine.”
The defendant along with Tupai and Toimoana were booked and sent to TCF for confinement.
The defendant is scheduled to appear in the District Court on Dec. 6, 2022 for his preliminary examination (PX).
The other five co-defendants had their PX held on Friday, and were all bound over to the High Court. Two other defendants, who were arrested during execution of the warrant — Gogo Sitanilei and Dimitri Tua-Fruean — had their cases dismissed without prejudice, meaning the government can refile their cases.