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Mata’u sentenced for stealing Tri-Marine payroll

A former security guard charged in connection with breaking into the Tri Marine office and stealing over $40,000 was sentenced to pay back the company’s money in the amount of $23,000 with monthly payments of $400 for five years.

 

Sentencing for Filoiali’i Mata’u was handed down by Associate Justice John Ward II last Friday.  Mata’u pleaded guilty to stealing last month. During sentencing, the defendant sought the court’s leniency and apologized for his actions, for violating the laws of American Samoa.

 

He also apologized to Tri Marine Company and its employees who were affected as their payroll was stolen by him. He extended his apology to his family, asking for their forgiveness for degrading their family’s good name.

 

Mata’u told the court that this would be his first and last appearance before the court. The defendant’s brother also took the stand and pleaded with the court to give Mata’u a second chance. The court heard from the brother that Matau’s help is much needed at home in the caring of their elderly parents. Assistant Attorney General Tiffany Oldfield asked the defendant’s brother who is caring for their parents, and the brother said it was their younger sister, however it’s been two weeks since she’s been gainfully employed.

 

Assistant Public Defender Joel Shiver asked the court to sentence the defendant to probation, to which the government did not object.

 

Shiver pointed out to the court that Mata’u is a wise young man who made an error in judgment on the day in question. The Assistant PD asked the court to allow the defendant a second chance for him to return home and look for a job and allow him the opportunity to become a productive member of society.

 

Ward sentenced Mata’u to seven years in jail, however, execution of sentencing was suspended and he’s placed on probation for five years under the condition that he serve 14 months.

 

The defendant was given 90 days in which he must find a job and be gainfully employed to pay back the monthly restitution of $400, which would be complete within five years, coinciding with his five years probation.

 

According to the government’s case, on June 27, 2013 police were contacted by an employee of Samoa Tuna Processors, owned by Tri Marine, about a burglary wherein $41,000 cash for the company’s payroll was missing. The employee told police that the day before the incident, the company had cash of $41,000 for payroll in the safe. The employee returned the next day to the office and could not locate the safe. During the investigation into the missing money, police were told that a former employee of the company was seen driving a rental car and wearing new clothes, yet he had been terminated two weeks prior to the incident.

 

On July 8, 2013 court filings say, police approached the defendant who allegedly admitted that two weeks after he was terminated from , he returned to the STP office with a black bag, a hammer, a screw driver and a knife. Court filings say, Mata’u admitted he entered the company’s office through the window and in the office he found a safe for which he could not locate the key, so he allegedly took the safe.

 

The government further claims the defendant informed police that he opened the safe and found $23,000 after which he threw away the safe, the hammer and the screwdriver. The police located the safe, where the defendant stated he had left it. Police also spoke to a female, who was seeing the defendant after the money was missing from the tuna company.

 

The girl told police Mata’u always invited her to go cruising and go to the movies with the defendant. She also told police that she observed new clothes, hats, shoes and sunglasses in the rental car the defendant was driving. Court filings say, the girl told police that one evening, Mata’u told her that police came talk to him about missing money from Tri Marine and he admitted to the girl that he had stolen the money.

 

The girl said the defendant also told her that he took $23,000. The government further claims that the girl asked the defendant of the whereabouts of the money, but he said he had spent it all. Court filings further say, the girl turned into police Jordan brand sandals and a baseball cap which she claimed had been given to her by Mata’u. Aside from the missing money, the government claims the value of the luggage and safe removed from the office was $280.