Traffic stops prompt more drug charges

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man from Leone was arrested by police two months ago during a traffic stop of a speeding vehicle in Faleniu, when cops discovered illegal drugs inside his vehicle.

Alapati Brown made his initial appearance in Court in March of this year.

Brown is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a felony punishable by imprisonment of 5-10 years, a fine of $5,000-$20,000 or both.

Bail is set at $5,000

THE CASE

On Mar. 19, 2022, two officers conducted speeding enforcement across from a store in Faleniu and at about 9a.m., they stopped a speeding vehicle that was heading west. Two males were inside. The driver identified himself to police as Alapati Brown, and did not have on him a valid driver’s license or any other form of identification. It was later confirmed that his license had expired in May of 2020

Brown was then told that his vehicle would be impounded at the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and he would be taken in for further questioning. He was handcuffed and rode in the passenger seat of his vehicle while a cop took the wheel.

Before heading to the police station, Brown asked one of the officers to hand a black backpack to his cousin, who was the passenger in his vehicle.

The cop who handed the black backpack over to the passenger asked the passenger if it belonged to him. The male passenger replied no, it belonged to his cousin, Brown.

The male passenger was then placed in the police unit and the cop held on to the backpack until their arrival at the TPS. Once there, the cop returned the backpack to Brown who claimed that it belonged to his cousin, the passenger.

A police sergeant then asked Brown for permission to search the backpack and Brown okayed it.

A police officer opened it and among other personal items, found two small stamp sized baggies, each containing a white crystalline substance. The substance was tested, and it was positive for meth.

When questioned by police, the male passenger said they were on their way to their uncle’s house in Leone to pick up a tool box to help with their constructions work in the Tafuna area. He told police that he did not know that his cousin Brown had illegal drugs in his possession.

According to the male passenger, his cousin (defendant) had the black backpack in the car when he picked him up.

When they were stopped by police, he saw his cousin (defendant) stuff the backpack under his seat and was surprised when the police officer came up to him and asked if the backpack was his.

Brown’s vehicle was searched in his presence and police found two glass pipes, each containing a white crystalline substance, on the floor of the passenger side, wrapped in a brown paper. They also found drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.

The male passenger was later released after he was questioned by investigators. Brown was  transported to the Territorial Correctional Facility (TFC), where he was booked and confined.

IEROME TIFAGA

The driver of a vehicle pulled over by police last month in Matu’u for blacked out tail lights is now charged with violating local drug laws.

On Mar. 14, 2022 around 10:50 p.m, a vehicle was pulled over by traffic officers in Matuu, after they observed it had blacked out tail lights. Officers approached the driver, who was later identified as Ierome Tifaga the defendant in this matter. Police explained to the driver of the vehicle the reason for the vehicle stop.

According to the government, Tifaga did not possess a driver’s license nor did he have any sort of identification. He was told the vehicle would be impounded at the TPS because he didn’t have a driver’s license.

A pat down search was conducted by a police officer per routine, and a glass pipe commonly containing a white crystalline substance, was found in Tifaga’s left pants pocket, along with a small stamp sized baggie also containing a white crystalline substance.

Inside his left rear pocket, a hand-rolled cigarette containing green leaves was discovered.

When asked about what was found during pat down, the defendant told investigators that he discovered the stuff in the vehicle, which belonged to his brother-in-law. So, he picked the items up and put them in his pockets, thinking that he would get rid of the stuff when he gets to his girlfriend’s house.

The defendant strongly denied any knowledge about the illegal substance discovered inside the vehicle.

After his interview with investigators, Tifaga was transported to the TCF where he was booked and confined.

The white residue inside the glass pipe was tested and results yielded positive for methamphetamine (meth). The report does not indicate when or where the green leafy substance was tested or the results.

Tifaga, 30, made his initial appearance in Court two months ago.

Tifaga is charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, both felonies, 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.

BACKGROUND

In 2014, Tifaga was sentenced to 5 years probation after being convicted for unlawful possession of marijuana. As a condition of his probation that expired last year, he was ordered to serve 20 months at the TCF.

Tifaga’s conviction stemmed from an incident where he and his girlfriend were arrested during a public disturbance incident in Tafuna. During a pat down, officers found two hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes on Tifaga.