Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two men were arrested during a traffic stop two weeks ago. Both were booked and confined at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF). One is now charged while the other one was released when the 48 hours expired.

They are Acuna Leomilo, who is now officially charged while the other one, Danny Mika was released. Leomilo made his initial appearance in District Court this week.

Leomilo is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, an unclassified felony punishable by imprisonment from 5-10 years, a fine of up to $20,000, or both.

Acting Associate Justice Elvis P. Patea set bail at $5,000.

Preliminary examination is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23rd at 2p.m.

THE CASE

On July 4th, 2020 about 1:20a.m, two police officers on the Western side of the island spotted a vehicle with no license plate light. The vehicle was stopped and empty beer cans were observed inside the vehicle, which had three occupants, the driver, and two passengers.

One of the officers approached the passenger sitting in the back seat first because he kept touching his shorts. He was later identified as Danny Mika. The officer confronted Mika and asked him to step out from the vehicle because he felt unsafe seeing him with his hands in his pockets.

Mika agreed and voluntarily stepped out from the vehicle with his hands still in his pants pocket. The officer told Mika to take his hands out from his pants pockets and asked him if he had anything in his pocket that might put them (officers) in any harm’s way.

Mika responded “No”. The officer then asked Mika to take out whatever was in his pocket.

According to the court affidavit, the officer asked Mika a couple of times and Mika responded that he had nothing inside his pants. The officer asked Mika for the fourth time to remove whatever was inside his pocket because it might be a weapon.

Mika then agreed that the officer could reach inside his pocket. The officer reached inside Mika’s back right pocket and later discovered a plastic baggie with contents inside, a glass tube (glass pipe) and prescription glasses. The officer then asked Mika about the contents and Mika responded they were joints and a pipe. The glass pipe found in Mika’s possession was clean, no residue was found inside. He was later released pending further investigation

The officer then approached the passenger sitting in the front passenger seat, who identified himself as Acuna Leomilo. According to the officer Leomilo appeared to be moving around inside the vehicle like he was trying to hide something and he kept demanding that officers let him go home.

The officer then asked Leomilo to open the car door because there were also empty beer cans below where he was sitting.

The officer was standing facing Leomilo when Leomilo opened the door and that’s when the officer spotted a glass pipe commonly used to smoke drugs beneath his seat.

The white crystalline substance contained in the glass pipe tested positive for methamphetamine.

Both men were placed under police custody and transported to the Tafuna Police Substation for interview.

After advising them of their Constitutional rights, both Leomilo and Mika stated that they understood their rights and wished not to make any statements to police.