FIRST OF TWO DRUG CASES SETTLED IN PLEA DEAL FOR COLIN BODE

Chief Justice Michael Kruse has yet to rule on the plea agreement between the Attorney General’s Office and drug defendant Colin Bode who’s charged in two separate drug cases.

The plea deal offered by ASG is in connection with the first drug case against Bode, where he’s charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

In the first drug case against the defendant, court filings say Bode was waiting in line to present his passport when customs K9 “Jordan” alerted near him. Court records say he was taken out of the line into a room where he was searched and two baggies of marijuana were found inside his pants. Police then took over the case and proceeded with Bode to the police station where he was advised of his rights. 

During the plea agreement, the defendant pled guilty to unlawful possession of marijuana. This count carries a jail term of between five to ten years and/or a fine of up to $20,000. Kruse asked the defendant if he’s aware of the penalties of the charge he was pleading to — that there’s a minimum of five years and the defendant replied, yes, he was aware.

There was no indication of the status of the second drug case filed against the defendant when this plea agreement was rendered before the High Court this week.

The second case against Bode charges him with unlawful possession of a controlled substance of methamphetamine. According to the government’s case, on Mar. 11, 2013 the Vice and Narcotics Division with the Department of Public Safety received a call from Customs requesting the police to come over to the Airport with a methamphetamine test.

Court filings say that upon arriving at the Customs Office, the Chief of Customs immediately informed police that another customs agent had briefed him earlier. The agent said that she had visited her relative, Tolupo Hodges, who is incarcerated at TCF, also on drug charges.

The customs agent's relative told Customs that in addition to the marijuana which the police had confiscated, there was also methamphetamine, which they had not found.

The female customs agent proceeded to the airport, and later called the Chief of Customs via telephone, saying she had found something in a cardboard box with their Custom Inspection tapes.

In the meantime, Kruse scheduled this matter to be called in August where the court will render its decision on the plea in the first case. He also ordered a probated sentence report in this case, which is being prepared by the probation officer.

WOMAN WHO ALLEGEDLY THREATENED POLICE WITH MACHETE ENTERS PLEA

A woman accused of threatening police officers with a machete will be sentenced this Friday after she entered into a plea agreement with the government. Autesamoa Hari was charged with assault second degree and public peace disturbance. During the plea agreement she pled guilty to third degree assault which was amended from the felony assault. Upon her guilty plea the government moved to dismiss the PPD count.

The defendant admitted that on Oct. 30, 2013 police responded to a call in Vailoatai, where they found defendant with a machete in her possession. It is alleged that she attempted to use it to cause harm to a police officer. Court filings say “she threatened to kill anybody who got in her way.” The machete was finally removed from her by her sister.

Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond accepted the plea agreement and scheduled sentencing for this Friday.