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Court Report

[SN file photo]
Translated by Samoa News staff

FOLASA GALEA’I

A man accused of driving a vehicle that allegedly struck and killed another man over the weekend is scheduled to appear again in District Court next week.

Folasa Galea’i made his initial appearance in the District Court this past Monday and is being charged with vehicular homicide, but is out on $2,500 bail.

According to court information, the single felony count stems from an incident in front of Matafao Elementary School in Fagaalu, in which a man was allegedly struck - and killed - by a vehicle driven by the defendant. No other details were available at press time regarding the incident.

Vehicular homicide is a class D felony punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment, or a fine of not more than $5,000 or both.

Based on a request from his attorney, Galea’i's preliminary examination has been continued for next Wednesday.

WAYNE GASOLO

A 24-year-old man accused of unlawful drug possession, has pled guilty to a lesser drug charge and will be sentenced Aug. 4 in the High Court.

Wayne ‘Ueni’ Gasolo was initially charged with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine, a felony punishable by “not less than 5 years imprisonment, or fine of not less than $5,000 or both.”

Under a plea agreement, accepted by the Court late last week, the defendant pled guilty to the amended lesser felony of unlawful drug possession, a crime punishable by “not more than 5 years imprisonment, or a fine of not more than $5,000 or both.”

With the guilty plea, the defendant admits that sometime in September last year, he was in possession of a pipe that is used to smoke methamphetamine, and a straw that had meth substance inside.

Gasolo has been in custody since his arrest last September, unable to post the $10,000 bond.  Based on court documents, Gasolo and another man were arrested at a vacant house which was unlawfully occupied by the owner’s “male relative”, who allegedly told young teenage girls they had to have sex with other men in exchange for drugs and money.

TAO LIU

The government filed last week at the District Court a single felony count of escaping from confinement, against Territorial Correctional Facility inmate, Tao Liu, who is being held behind bars on a 'no bail' status, facing 11 criminal charges, which include possession of drugs and an unlicensed firearm.

According to court information, it was sometime around Oct. 2, 2016 that the defendant allegedly escaped from confinement. He was recaptured the next day.

Court information states that another inmate, Joeita Fa’aaliga allegedly assisted Liu in escaping from jail, by leaving the door to the cell unlocked.

Liu’s case was bound over to High Court, where he was arraigned last Friday and entered a 'not guilty' plea to the escape charge.  His pretrial conference is scheduled for later this year, in August.

Liu’s case on the eleven charges is still pending in High Court.

MAN CHARGED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A 42-year-old man appeared in District Court late last week, charged with two misdemeanor counts of third degree assault and private peace disturbance. The charges stem from the defendant’s alleged assault of his wife earlier that same week.

To protect the victim, Samoa News does not identify the defendant by name in these types of domestic violence cases.

According to court information, the wife contacted police for help after the alleged assault, from which the victim suffered bruises to her facial area and back. The defendant allegedly used her as a punching bag during the assault.

The wife told police that the whole incident came about because of finances. She said it started in the morning, with an argument over money, before her husband went to work.  When he returned home after work, the husband resumed the argument, followed by the alleged assault.

The police report states that when the defendant was taken in to custody, he smelled of beer.

The court has set bail for the defendant at $500 and if he is able to post it, the court has set several conditions of release. He is prohibited from making any direct or indirect contact with his wife, and he is to find another place to reside, while his case is pending in Court.

AKI LEE JUNGBLUT

The High Court has scheduled defendant Aki Lee Jungblut for sentencing on July 6, after he pled guilty to hindering prosecution in connection with a robbery case where another man has already pled guilty to breaking into three businesses and making off with more than $3,000 cash.

Jungblut was charged by the government in two separate cases. For the first case, he was charged with first-degree robbery and second degree stealing — both felonies, with robbery being the more serious charge.

In the second case, he was charged with four felonies, which includes first degree burglary, stealing, and hindering prosecution.

The charges against the defendant, in both cases, stem from his role in helping another man - co-defendant Daniel Taufua - break in to several businesses and stealing money between December 2016 and February 2017.

Under a plea agreement presented and accepted by the Court late last week, Jungblut, 25, pled guilty to the charge of hindering prosecution from the first case, and the stealing charge from the second case, while the rest of the charges were dismissed.

In pleading guilty to hindering prosecution, Jungblut admits that last December, he drove a vehicle that transported Taufua away from a business located in Tafuna village, a place Taufua had broken in to and stole a cash register containing $130 cash.

For stealing — from the second case — Jungblut admits that sometime last December he assisted Taufua in stealing a cash register containing $160 from a store in Nu’uuli.

Among provisions of the plea agreement, is that Jungblut, along with Taufua and another co-defendant, Nassan Tupuola, will pay $3,000 in restitution, which is the total amount of money that prosecutors believe was stolen by Taufua from three local businesses, with the help of his co-defendants.

As previously reported by Samoa News, 30-year old Taufua was initially charged with eleven felonies from two separate cases against him. Under a plea agreement with the government, Taufua pled guilty two weeks ago to three counts of felony stealing and the rest of the charges - from both cases - were dismissed.

Tupuola, 27, who was also initially charged in two separate cases, pled guilty last week to hindering prosecution.

All three defendants have been in custody since their arrest in February, unable to post bail. All three are scheduled for sentencing on July 6.

(Original Samoan stories were published June 12 and 14, and featured online on June 10)