Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A young man who is accused of escaping from confinement while serving a 30-year sentence for robbing 9 Asian stores, including a store in Nuuuli at gunpoint, is asking the court to set his new case for trial.

Richard Sifoa, represented by Assistant Public Defender Bob Stuart, appeared in court last week for a pretrial conference. Prosecuting the case is Assistant Attorney General Christy Dunn.

Stuart informed the court that they have received all discovery from the government, including an offer; however, after reviewing the facts of the case, they have been unable to reach an agreement. He then asked the court to set his client’s case for trial.

The new allegation stems from an incident that occurred in June of this year. The government alleges that Sifoa left the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) without permission from the court. Sifoa has vehemently denied the allegation.

BACKGROUND

Sifoa was sentenced to 30 years on Sept. 9, 2016 after he was convicted of one count of armed robbery, a class A felony; and 5 counts of misdemeanor stealing, a class A misdemeanor.

According to the government, Sifoa and his co-defendant were targeting Asian stores, burglarizing nine stores at night using a knife, a stone, and a shotgun to threaten store owners and cashiers.