ASSISTANT AG SENTENCED TO PROBATION

Chief Assistant Attorney General (Civil Division) Marian Rapoza entered into a plea agreement with the government in connection with traffic citations issued last year, which included driving under the influence (DUI) and failure to stop at a stop sign. This matter was referred to Independent prosecutor Tala Uiagalelei, who made the plea offer to reduce the charge of failure to stop to reckless driving, while the DUI count was dismissed.

Rapoza pled guilty to reckless driving which was accepted by District Court Judge John Ward. Rapoza was sentenced to six months probation and ordered to pay a $100 fine for reckless driving.   

Ward ordered that Rapoza was only to operate a vehicle during the day time. Uiagalelei noted that the DUI count was dismissed because there was not enough evidence to support the charge — there was no blood alcohol content or BAC recorded.

NATHANIEL SIULUA CHARGED IN STEALING CASE

A man is being held on $20,000 bail for charges of stealing and receiving stolen property two years ago. Nathaniel Siulua made his initial appearance in the District Court last week and is represented by Assistant Public Defender Mike White.

According to the government’s case, on Sept. 20, 2010 police received a call that a home was burglarized — a cell phone, clothes, liquor, laptop and a camera was taken. A month later police met with Siulua, who denied breaking into the house.

Several days later, police were told that the defendant had given clothes to another man and one of the shorts had a Certificate of Identity (CI) belonging to the victim. The defendant’s friend returned the CI to the victim and identified that the clothes were from the defendant.

Court filings say, that police investigation uncovered that the defendant attempted to sell the laptop to another man for $20, but the man did not have money, however, the defendant still left the laptop at the man’s house.

Court filings also say, police searched the defendant’s residence and found clothes belonging to the victim and his family.

CASE OF DRUG DEFENDANT TUPOLO HODGES IN HIGH COURT

Tupolo Hodges denied the drug charges filed against him following a raid conducted by the police, when he was arraigned in the High Court last week.

His guilty plea was entered before Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond. Hodges is on probation after he was sentenced in 2010 for similar conduct, following his voluntary guilty plea to unlawful possession of a controlled substance — namely methamphetamine — with the intent to distribute. Hodges was sentenced to serve 40 months as a condition of his ten years probation, but was released early, based on the assurance of a probation officer.   

The new case against Hodges, charges him with unlawful possession of methamphetamine and three charges of possession of a prohibited weapon.

According to the government’s case, on February 14, 2013 the Vice and Narcotics Detectives executed a search warrant on Hodges, his vehicle and his residence and found a black pouch, which contained a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, a plastic baggie containing methamphetamine, and a straw cut diagonally, which is commonly used to scoop methamphetamine, and also found a gun-shaped lighter, a digital scale, a 22 rifle, and ammunition. 

The defendant refused to sign the waiver of constitutional rights, but stated that the meth was for his personal use.

Pre-trial conference for this matter is now scheduled for next month, and a hearing for revocation of his probation has been scheduled on the same day.