Young man pleads guilty to cell phone theft

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The man accused of stealing a Samsung Galaxy S5 phone told the court that the allegations against him are true.

Malala Lautaimi, 25, was initially charged with second degree robbery and stealing; however, under a plea agreement, he agreed to plead guilty to stealing, a class C felony.

With his guilty plea, Lautaimi admits that on Oct. 18, 2016, he took a Samsung Galaxy S5 phone from another person in Iliili.

Lautaimi, who has been in custody since the day of his arrest, is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 25th for sentencing.

Lautaimi was represented by Public Defender, Michael White, while prosecuting the case was Assistant Attorney General, Woodrow Pengelly.