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Drugs allegedly found in rental car after being pulled over in traffic stop

American Samoa District Court building
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The preliminary examination for the 20-year-old female who was driving the rental car that was pulled over by police two weeks ago and illegal drugs were allegedly discovered inside the vehicle is continued to Dec. 6, 2018 at 10a.m.

This was after District Court Judge Fiti Sunia granted the defense’s motion to continue Olotele Pouesi’s PX which was scheduled for last Friday, because the defense attorney stated that her team needs to investigate some of the “new information” they just got from their client.

Pouesi, who has been in custody since her arrest, unable to post a $5,000 surety bond appeared in court last Friday for her PX. She was represented by Assistant Public Defender Anna Wells, while prosecuting the government’s case was Assistant Attorney General Christy Dunn.

When Pouesi’s case was called, Wells immediately asked the court for a 2 weeks continuance, saying that her office needs to investigate more about the new information they got from their client. Furthermore, Wells stated to the court that based on her understanding about the circumstance of this case, the new information is very essential for her client’s defense.

Sunia granted the defense’s motion and rescheduled Pouesi’s PX to Dec. 6.

BACKGROUND

Pouesi is charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine; and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, marijuana — both class D felonies, punishable by imprisonment of not less than five nor more than ten years and a fine of not less than $5,000 or more than $20,000.

These charges stem from an alleged incident that occurred on Nov. 11 when armed detectives of the DPS Vice & Narcotics Unit pulled over a rental car, which was spotted in Pago Pago heading westbound around 6p.m.  While the male they were looking for was not in the vehicle, it was discovered that the driver, Pouesi, did not have a driver’s license and neither did the female passenger. The vehicle was then impounded, and the police during an inventory of the car allegedly discovered illegal drugs inside.

Samoa News understands that Pouesi has already informed her defense team that the illegal drugs that were allegedly discovered inside the rental car she drove did not belong to her.