Previous warrant found for man after domestic violence arrest

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man arrested for assault and disturbing the private peace inside his home is now charged with violating local drug laws. And during his arrest, police discovered an active arrest warrant from a previous drug case in September of last year.

Tafilipepe Faamanatuoleola, a.k.a Fili Faamanatu made his initial appearance in Court last month.

The government has filed two separate cases against the defendant.

In the first case, Faamanatuoleola is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine (meth) and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, both felonies, punishable by 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, along with 3rd- degree assault and private peace disturbance, both class A misdemeanors.

Bail is set at $10,000.

In the second case from September of 2021, the defendant is charged with one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, a felony. Bail is set at $5,000 for this case.

THE CASE

On May 8, 2022, detectives from the DPS Vice & Narcotics K9 Unit were notified to investigate two cut-up straws containing a white crystalline substance and a small stamp-sized baggie with a green leafy substance inside it allegedly confiscated from a man arrested in a Domestic Violence case.

The man arrested was later identified as Tafilipepe Faamanatuoleola, the defendant in this matter.

The domestic violence incident was reported to police by the victim’s mother in a phone call, and several officers responded to the call, meeting up with the caller and the victim in this case. Officers were told that the defendant fled the scene in his vehicle before officers arrived at the house.

After interviewing the victim, officers were able to locate the defendant, and he was apprehended and taken him to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for questioning, after his vehicle was pulled over by cops and impounded a couple of hours later.

The victim’s mother told investigators that she was inside her house when she heard her daughter yelling at her for help. She ran outside of her house and saw her daughter’s husband (defendant) assaulting her daughter by punching her face with his fist and pulling her hair, while their children were standing outside crying. That’s when she called police for help.

The victim told investigators she got in to an argument with her husband because she found two cut-up straws containing a white powder inside his pants and it’s not the first time she’s confronted her husband about this type of behavior.

The other two times, her husband made excuses of why he had the illegal drugs in his possession when she confronted him.

However, this third time, her husband got upset and told her that she’s very controlling and he’s sick and tired of her behavior. That’s when the defendant allegedly beat her up front of their children.

After the defendant was apprehended he and the vehicle were transported to the TPS, the defendant was asked if he would consent to a search of his vehicle and he agreed. Officers conducted the search of the vehicle in the presence of the defendant.

During the search, officers alleged found a small stamp-sized baggie containing a green leafy substance, along with two cut up straws containing a white crystalline substance under the passenger’s seat.

When questioned about the alleged domestic violence incident, the defendant immediately confessed and admitted to the allegation. He told police that he was very disappointed after his wife kept questioning him about the drugs she found inside his pant’s pocket.

The defendant admitted that the drugs found inside his vehicle belonged to him.

When asked why he fled from the cops, the defendant stated that he was afraid because cops were looking for him from an incident that occurred last year where drugs were found inside his truck during a traffic stop.

THE ARREST WARRANT

On Sept. 14, 2021 about 11:05p.m, a truck was stopped in Nu’uuli because it had only one head lamp working. During the traffic stop, police believed they smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the driver as well as from inside the vehicle.

The driver was identified as Tafilipepe Faamanatuoleola.

The driver was then informed that his vehicle would be impounded at Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) so that a police sergeant could administer a field sobriety test. The driver agreed. And as it turned out later, he was not under the influence of alcohol.

However, an inventory of the vehicle conducted at TPS, led to the discovery by officers of a white envelope that contained a green leafy substance inside the armrest between the driver and the passenger seats. At that time, detectives of the DPS Vice and Narcotics Unit (VNU) were notified about the alleged illegal drugs.

The VNU tested the green leafy substances and it tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an active compound in the controlled substance marijuana.

When the defendant was interviewed, he revealed to investigators the name of the man who sold him the marijuana. He further told investigators that the man has just received a big supply of drugs and was about to sell them.

The defendant agreed that he would provide more information about the man who supplied him with drugs and he was released.

The defendant did not do as he agreed and was nowhere to found, until his arrest in a domestic violence case the following year.