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Court Report

[SN file photo]
Translated by Samoa News staff

ROMAN FAUMUINA —

A man accused of using another person’s credit card to purchase goods has been given a probative sentence.

Roman Faumuina was in District Court last Friday for a sentencing hearing, after he pled guilty to misdemeanor stealing. He admitted that he used a credit card that didn’t belong to him, to make a purchase, without the card owner’s knowledge. (Its unclear as to how the defendant got a hold of the credit card or how the purchase was made — either through a store or online.)

Faumuina’s attorney, David Vargas requested the court to not impose a jail term for the defendant, but instead place him on probation, which was supported by the government, through assistant attorney Woodrow Pengelly.

District Court Judge Fiti Sunia handed down a 12-month probation sentence, as well as several conditions for the defendant to comply with such as pay a $100 court fine, and be a law abiding citizen. The defendant could have landed in jail for 30-days, which was waived at this time — as long as he complies with all conditions of his probation.

Court information wasn’t immediately available as to the total amount of Faumuina’s purchase when he made unauthorized use of the credit card.

EDWARD EARY JR.

The High Court has scheduled a change of plea hearing Thursday, for Edward Eary Jr., who is facing burglary charges in two separate cases.

At a status hearing last Friday, the court granted the government’s request, made by assistant attorney general Kristy Dunn, to combine the two cases against Eary, whose attorney,  assistant public defender Michael White didn’t voice any objection.

Although the two cases were filed in court separately and at different dates, Dunn said police investigation revealed that both cases are connected as they are part of larger alleged criminal activities by the defendant.

She also said a plea agreement has been reached by both sides and will be presented to court. Provisions of the agreement will have the defendant enter a guilty plea in one case, while the government will move to dismiss the other, according to the prosecutor.

According to court information, Eary is charged in two separate cases. In the first one, he faces two counts of first-degree burglary, while he faces four counts of first-degree burglary in the second case.

The defendant’s crimes include breaking into homes on the western side of the island, earlier this year in February. When he was arrested and charged, the defendant’s bail was set at  $5,000, which was posted by his father.

However, during a hearing in March, the government informed the court that the defendant's father no longer wanted to post the money for bail, because he was concerned that the defendant, his son, was not complying with all conditions of release set by the court.

The defendant, who was in court at the time for the hearing, was immediately taken into custody after the government’s request was granted by the court.

Eary remains behind bars at the Territorial Correctional Facility.