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Man found sleeping in car at a bus stop faces drug charges

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Said he came across the vehicle; thought to himself it’s a good place for him to sleep
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who was found sleeping at a bus stop in Tafuna last week is facing drug charges, after police allegedly found drugs and paraphernalia on him, when they went wake him up.

Douglas Silipa, a.k.a. “Douky” is charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine and marijuana, both felonies, punishable by imprisonment of 5-10 years, a fine of $5,000-$20,000 or both, for each count. Silipa waived his right to a preliminary examination, and the case was bound over to High Court where he will be arraigned today.

Silipa remains in custody unable to post a $10,000 surety bond.

According to the government, two cops patrolling near the Tafuna area on Dec. 29, 2019 observed a blue truck parked at one of the bus stops. Police approached the vehicle and found a male - later identified as Silipa - sitting in the driver’s seat, asleep.

Court documents say officers noticed that the sleeping man was holding a small pouch in his right hand, while his left hand was not visible.When cops woke Silipa up, they saw a piece of metal and a machete on the passenger’s seat which Silipa immediately grabbed, while telling police not to bother him.

Silipa was asked by police to discard the machete, but he did not comply. One of the cops proceeded to remove the knife from Silipa, and when asked what he was holding, Silipa replied, “I don’t know. I found it inside the vehicle.”

When police asked why he was sleeping in the vehicle, Silipa said he was too drunk and was looking for a place to sleep. And when he came across the vehicle, he thought to himself - this is a good place to sleep until morning.

When police asked if they could look inside the black pouch, Silipa agreed. Cops observed two small baggies, one of which contained a white crystalline substance, and the other containing a green leafy substance.

Police also found in the pouch, what appeared to be clear plastic baggies containing what appeared to be a crystalline substance. A small hand rolled cigarette (roach), which appeared to have been smoked was also observed in a container along with rolling papers. When asked about the items in the container, Silipa told police, “It’s my gift for Christmas from a friend in Vaitogi.”

A body search of Silipa allegedly netted a clear blue tip pipe with a bulb in his right pocket. The glass pipe contained what appeared to be a white powder-like residue. Inside his left pant pocket, cops allegedly found a small clear container with what appeared to be a green leafy substance.

Silipa didn't have an answer for police, when asked about the items found on him. He also refused to provide a written statement. Items found at the scene all tested positive for meth and marijuana.