Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Chief Justice Michael Kruse, last Thursday, granted a verbal motion by defendant Tumuatasi Lefatia’s attorney, Marcellus Uiagalelei for continuance of the preliminary hearing for his client until her current case is resolved.

Kruse immediately granted the defense’s request.

Lefatia, also known as “Mama” appeared in High Court last Thursday for her preliminary hearing, pursuant to the OSC (Order to Show Cause) from the Probation Office, on the allegation that she violated conditions of her 2-year probation that was handed down by the High Court in Jan. 2017, when she was arrested and charged in her current case.

Lafatia, who is still in custody unable to post her $100,000, cash bond is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 20 for her next pretrial conference.

Lefatia is charged with 4 felony counts, including unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine; unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a control substance, marijuana; and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, marijuana with the intent to distribute.

BACKGROUND — LEFATIA’S PROBATION

On March 2015, the police raided the Le Aute Bar with 30 officers participating. As a result of the raid, Lefatia was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, which carries a jail term from five to ten years and a fine between $5,000 and $20,000.

She was also charged with three counts of unlawful possession of a weapon and each charge is a class A misdemeanor, punishable with up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.

However in a plea agreement with the government, one of the three misdemeanor counts was amended to illegal possession of firearm ammunition, which the defendant pleaded guilty to, while the rest of the charges were dismissed.

Lefatia was sentenced to one year in jail however execution of sentence was suspended and she was placed on a two-year probation with the condition that she serve 90 days in jail. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and to remain a law-abiding citizen and she’s not allowed to be in possession of drugs.

During the 2015 search, police uncovered drug paraphernalia; three digital scales, cut up straws; pills believed to be oxycodine (an opioid pain medication, sometimes called a narcotic and used to treat moderate to severe pain), scissors with burnt tips and a glass pipe allegedly containing methamphetamine, which was found inside a pool stick case that was found in Lefatia’s bedroom. Police also found money in the amount of $4,184.