Ads by Google Ads by Google

Court Report

ANOTHER CUSTOMS DRUG BUST AT THE POST OFFICE

 

The Vice and Narcotics Detectives were called to the Post Office on Tuesday when Customs Agents held in their custody a Caucasian man who claimed a package which contained what appeared to be “Spice” or synthetic marijuana.

 

According to Customs officers, the envelope came from a Hawai’i address and when it was opened for Customs procedural check, a green leafy substance was found within.

 

This will be sent off island for further testing, as Spice or Synthetic Marijuana is a mixture of herbs and spices that are typically sprayed with a synthetic compound chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredients in marijuana.

 

The Caucasian man who claimed the package denied having any knowledge as to who sent the package to his mail box. The envelope contained 20 baggies which police and Customs believed to be Spice, which is now turned in as evidence while the police await drug testing from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). According to Customs officers, the K9 did not alert near this specific package. The man was released after police questioning.

 

SENTENCING POSTPONED FOR WOMAN WHO STOLE AIRLINE TICKET MONEY

 

An Aua woman who claimed she worked for the American Samoa Government to purchase airline tickets from J&J World Travel, was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday after she entered into a plea agreement with the government.

 

Maria Sailelei Tuilagi was arrested and criminally charged after the incident was reported to the police by the owner of J&J World Travel, who had stated the defendant contacted his business in July 2011, saying she worked for the local Department of Education. She requested the purchase of six airline tickets according to court records.

 

During the change of plea hearing the defendant admitted to the criminal conduct, and admitted using the money she had been given by travelers who believed they were purchasing ‘K’ fares.

 

It's alleged the travel agency processed the six tickets, however during the processing of payment, J&J World Travel Agency found out Sailele-Tuilagi was not an employee of ASDOE.

 

When the matter was called for sentencing yesterday, the probated sentence report was not ready and Chief Justice Michael Kruse rescheduled sentencing to next week Wednesday.

 

Court filings say police spoke to those who traveled off island, using the tickets obtained by Sailele-Tuilagi through the travel agency, and were told the defendant had offered to get them discount tickets to the mainland. She took money from those people and then called J&J, posing as an ASDOE employee. She gave the travel agent fraudulent TA numbers.

 

One of the tickets purchased was for the defendant’s daughter, who left on a one-way ticket to to Kansas City, Missouri.

 

LOKENI APELU FINED $1000 FOR MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT

 

A man was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for third degree assault as part of his one year probation. Lokeni Apelu was initially charged with second degree assault for punching a man during a volleyball match in October of last year. As a condition of his probation, Apelu was ordered to pay restitution for the medical bill for the victim, who was hospitalized as a result of the physical altercation.

 

Apelu was initially charged with second degree assault, however in a plea agreement the government moved to amend the felony assault to a misdemeanor third degree assault.

 

Upon entering his guilty plea the defendant admitted that he had punched the victim on his face and when the victim fell down, he hit his head on a concrete block on the volleyball court. The victim suffered a cut on his head and was hospitalized as a result of the incident.

 

Apelu was sentenced to six months in jail, however that was suspended and he’s been placed on probation for one year.

 

The court then released the defendant from jail noting that the incarceration period of 52 days would suffice for this matter. Apelu was also ordered to undergo anger management counseling and to remain a law abiding citizen.