Eight charged in last week’s Fagaalu raid where meth allegedly found

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Eight individuals, including three women, made their initial court appearances in District Court on Thursday, June 8, 2023, on charges relating to the drug raids by police at two homes in Fagaalu last week Monday, June 5.

As previously reported by Samoa News, on June 9, the raid began with the execution of a search warrant on Kika Benjamin Tilei’s house and culminated with the execution of a warrant on Tavita Tali’s house.

Ten individuals in total were questioned at the time, with two told to leave after pat downs cleared them.

Of the seven people apprehended due to the Tilei warrant, three, which included Tilei were arrested when Tilei’s vehicle was stopped on the road in Fagaalu; the other two were female individuals — Kueni Falepau and Aiga Suluao Tu’upo. Drugs were allegedly found on Falepau, and in the vehicle.

The four individuals found at the house and apprehended are: the third woman, Adelle Fenumia’i, Tilei’s sister, Samuelu Luatua, Fenumia’i’s boyfriend, an individual identified as Harris Fitiao and another male known as Kamipeli Taufalele. Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were allegedly found in Tilei’s house, as well as on or around these four people.

The eighth individual, Tavita Tali, was apprehended on the main road walking towards the LBJ Medical Center, and during a pat down, drugs were allegedly found in his possession.

All crystalline white substances recovered during the Faga’alu raids and from individuals apprehended from the traffic stop were tested using the methamphetamine (meth) reagent field test kit and Duquenois Levine Field Test and all yielded a positive result for meth, according to the court affidavit.

Tali is being charged with one criminal count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance (to wit: methamphetamine).  His bond is for $8,000.

Fenumia’i is charged with 2 criminal counts — 1 count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth) and 1 count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth) with intent to distribute. She is currently being held on a $20,000 bail.

Luatua is charged with the same criminal counts as Fenumia’i and is also being held on a $20,000 bail.

FENUMIA’I STATEMENT

At approximately 8:35p.m. on June 5th, Fenumia’i was Mirandized, and she told police she wished to make a statement and answer questions.

According to Fenumia’i’s verbal and written statement contained in the court affidavit, she “was in shock when several police officers approached their house while she was sitting in front of the patio waiting for her brother Tilei’s truck that went to get building materials for her to use for a project at home.”

The defendant told officers that she’s “been warning brother to take his drugs somewhere else and not to bring it in their house while her kids are around.”

Fenumia’i stated that as the year 2023 started, her brother, Tilei, introduced her to his girlfriend, Falepau. Fenumia’i later stated that about 3 weeks ago, she was cleaning their side of their land when she observed a marijuana plant inside a medium pot. Fenumia’i then asked Falepau “who owns the marijuana plant” and Falepau allegedly replied that it belongs to her.

Fenumia’i then stated that she “warned Falepau to take that marijuana plant away from her place before someone else finds out about it.”

She allegedly told police that the glass pipe and the small size baggie that was found on her person belonged to Falepau’s sister Tu’upo. Fenumia’i stated that Tu’upo asked her if she can hold on to her stuff while she is going with Tilei to finish up their landscaping project.

Fenumia’i was booked and confined and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) for 48 hours.

LUATUA STATEMENT

On June 5th, at 10:08p.m., Luatua was also Mirandized and indicated he understood his rights and wished to make a statement and answer questions.

Luatua allegedly verbally stated that Tilei and his girlfriend, Falepau, have been selling drugs, meth and marijuana, out of Tilei’s house in Faga’alu.

The defendant told officers that he has been in a relationship with Fenumia’i for about a year and, according to the court affidavit, admitted that he knew about Tilei and Falepau selling drugs out of Tilei’s home.

When officers asked Luatua about the small baggie that was discovered inside Fenumia’i’s room, Luatua allegedly told officers that he is a user and he only smokes meth when he is doing chores at their house, especially working on his plantation.

Luatua was booked and confined at the TCF for 48 hours. 

(Samoa News will report on the other 4 individuals that had their initial court appearances last week Thursday, June 8 when court affidavits become available for facts on the case.)