Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The driver of a vehicle pulled over for speeding last month is now charged with violating local drug laws.

The driver, Faleloa Samuelu made his initial appearance in court last month.

He is charged with one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, an unclassified felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than five nor more than ten years and a fine of not less than $5,000 nor more than $20,000, or both.

Bail is set at $5,000

Preliminary examination is set at Thursday this week.

THE CASE

According to the government’s case, Faleloa Samuelu was the driver of a vehicle stopped for speeding on Sept. 20, 2022. Due to having no ID to identify himself, nor a valid driver’s license in his possession, Samuelu was taken to  TPS for further investigation, and the vehicle was impounded.

An inventory of the vehicle was conducted at the TPS, and a black box was discovered under the rear left passenger seat that contained what appeared to be a clear pipe, along with a handbag that contained $389 in currency.

A Vice & Narcotics Unit detective tested the contents inside the glass pipe and results revealed the substance tested positive for THC/ marijuana.

It was later found that Samuelu’s driver’s license had expired in December 2020.

After he was Mirandized, the defendant informed investigators that he understood his rights and refused to make a statement. He told investigators that he wanted to speak to his lawyer before he made any statements about the incident.

SEMISI TAULAGA

A man who is on probation for stealing has been arrested again — this time on the allegation he violated local drug laws.

Semisi Taulaga was a passenger in a truck that was pulled over by police two weeks ago in Malaloa. A glass pipe containing a white crystalline substance and a baggie containing a green leafy substance were found inside the right pocket of Taulaga’s pants.

The incident happened on the early morning of Sept. 30, 2022, after a vehicle was stopped for expired tags on the rear license plate. Two men were inside the vehicle — the driver and Samisi Taulaga, the defendant, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

Taulaga attempted to leave the scene (exit the vehicle) and was seen trying to reach inside the left pocket of his pants while he was outside the vehicle. He was ordered to stop.

As one of the officers walked over to the area where Taulaga was standing, Taulaga immediately took off and ran across the road and continued fleeing from the officer, however, he was apprehended.

During a body search of Taulaga per norm, a glass pipe containing a white crystalline substance was discovered, as well as a small stamp-sized baggie containing a green leafy substance. The first tested positive for meth, while the latter tested positive for THC/ marijuana.

The defendant told officers the drugs were for personal use.

Taulaga’s presence inside his vehicle as a passenger, according to the driver, was due to Taulaga flagging him down when he was on his way with his wife to drop her off at work. After dropping his wife off, he returned and picked up Taulaga who asked him to drop him at a friend’s house in Leloaloa.

Taulaga made his initial appearance in court. He’s charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, both unclassified felonies, punishable by term of imprisonment from 5 to 10 years, a fine not more than $20,000, or both.

Bail is set at $5,000.

CALVIN ISAMAELI

A 35-year-old male passenger in a vehicle where investigators allegedly found two medium sized baggies containing a white crystalline substance; 8 hand rolled marijuana cigarettes and drug paraphernalia has been arrested and charged with unlawful possession of drugs.

Calvin Isamaeli made his initial appearance in District Court last month. He later waived his right to a preliminary examination and his case was bound over to High Court for arraignment.

Pretrial conference is now scheduled for Dec. 12, 2022.

Isamaeli is charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, both unclassified felonies, punishable by imprisonment of 5-10 years, a fine between $5,000- $20,000 or both.

Bail is set at $10,000.

THE ALLEGATION

Isaako and a 17-juvenile were in a truck driven by Isamaeli’s girlfriend, when patrol officers pulled them over in Nu’uuli around 7:32 p.m for having no lights over the license plate.

During the traffic stop, police noticed suspicious movements by Isamaeli — as if trying to hide something from sight. Isamaeli was sitting in the passenger seat. It’s when he moved his foot the officer noticed a glass pipe on the floor of the car.

At this point, all three people inside the vehicle was told to exit it, and the driver was told that the vehicle would be impounded at the TPS, and all of them would be taken in for questioning.

The driver and the juvenile complied, while Isamaeli told the officer that he was in a hurry to buy food for his elderly mother and power for their electricity.

Isamaeli eventually agreed to go to the TPS, however, while he getting inside the police unit, officers observed him reaching into his rear pocket.  A body search was immediately conducted on Isaako and the other two individuals.

Nothing was found on the driver and the juvenile, but police discovered 3 medium sized baggies containing a white crystalline substance inside Isamaeli’s rear pocket, along with paraphernalia including 4 empty small stamp-sized baggies commonly used to sell meth and a glass pipe containing a white crystalline inside.

In addition, two hand rolled cigarettes containing a green leafy substance were found in another pocket of his pants.

Isamaeli told police that he found the drugs and paraphernalia inside the vehicle when he jumped inside, and he picked the items up and put them inside his pocket.

He further told police that he was suspicious that the drugs and paraphernalia belonged to the owner of the vehicle, but his only mistake was that he touched them and placed them inside his pocket.

Isamaeli told them that the man who owns the vehicle is allegedly involved in selling illegal drugs from his home. He knew this because the man gave him a marijuana hand rolled cigarette to smoke two days prior to this incident.

A further search of the vehicle found a glass pipe containing a white crystalline substance. The glass pipe was under the passenger’s seat where Isamaeli was seated.

When asked about the glass pipe discovered inside his vehicle, the driver told investigators that she knew nothing about the drugs and paraphernalia. She said she suspected that everything belonged to her boyfriend, Isamaeli.

Investigators also interviewed the juvenile passenger regarding the drugs found inside the vehicle in the presence of his mother.

He told investigators that Isamaeli told him to come with him to his friend’s house in Taputimu to reload stuff for the week.

When asked what “stuff” they were going to reload from Isamaeli friends’s house in Taputimu, the passenger said, “meth and marijuana”. The juvenile further stated to investigators that all drugs found on Isamaeli belonged to Isamaeli.

The driver was cited for several traffic citations and released; while the juvenile was released to his mother. Isamaeli was booked and transported to jail.