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Drug defendant reaches plea agreement with govt

Just say no to marijuana logo
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who was arrested for disturbing the public peace and later found with illegal drugs has entered into a plea agreement with the government.

Kome Molesi appeared in court last week for a pretrial conference; however, when his case was called, the defense attorney informed the court that they have reached an agreement with the government.

Molesi was initially charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a felony; and two misdemeanor charges of third degree assault and public peace disturbance.

However, under a plea agreement with the government — accepted by the court — Molesi pled guilty to the amended, lesser charge of unlawful possession of marijuana, a class D felony carrying a possible sentence of up to 5 years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

With his guilty plea, Molesi admits that on the evening of Apr. 23, 2020 at his home in Iliili, he had on him, two stamp-sized baggies containing marijuana when police arrested him for disturbing the public peace (PPD).

According to terms of the plea agreement, several cops responded to a PPD matter in Iliili on the night in question. Molesi was present when police pulled up. He was yelling profanities at his neighbor while holding a beer bottle in his right hand. He was heavily intoxicated and unable to walk.

Cops got the matter under control and Molesi was immediately apprehended at the scene and placed inside a police unit for safety reasons, before he was transported to the Tafuna Police Substation for questioning.

During a body search, police discovered the two baggies containing marijuana on Molesi. He refused to reveal to investigators the identity of the man who sold him the ‘pot’.

Sentencing is scheduled or Apr. 24th.