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Two inmates appear in court for probation violation

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two men serving imprisonment sentences for drug convictions appeared before Chief Justice Michael Kruse this week for probation violations.

Sonny Mu Kelemete is accused of refusing to take a drug test, which is a condition of his probation, while Sierra Isaia, who has a pending revocation hearing before Kruse for a probation violation last year, is accused of violating conditions of his probation after testing positive to meth.

The government alleges that a court marshal visited the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) last week to conduct random drug tests on some of the inmates, which is required.

As a result, Isaia tested positive for meth, while Kelemete refused to submit himself for a drug test. The government alleges that refusing a drug test is a violation of probation for Kelemete.

Preliminary examination is scheduled for May 30th, 2021.

BACKGROUND

Kelemete is serving an imprisonment sentence of 40 months as a condition of his ten years probation after being convicted of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. His conviction stems from an incident where cops found drugs and a firearm in his vehicle during a traffic stop for a traffic violation.

Isaia, 42 is serving 80 months at TCF after being convicted of two counts of unlawful possession of meth. On August 2017, cops found a glass pipe containing meth in Isaia’s possession. Four months later after being released from custody for his first case, Isaia was arrested again in December 2017 after cops found a glass pipe containing methamphetamine in his possession.

In May of last year, Isaia appeared in court for a probation violation hearing. The government alleged that Isaia refused to submit himself for a drug test after two Probation officers visited TCF to conduct drug testing for several inmates including Isaia.

Isaia’s Revocation Hearing from last year is still pending in court.