Two former employees of Tautua Mo Oe were today sentenced to 20 months imprisonment for conspiracy to commit stealing.
The amount of money that Inosiaolonaaiga Pauga and Malia One admitted to taking was over $30,000 each.
The two women were originally charged with stealing and embezzlement but entered plea agreements in which they pled guilty to the amended charge of conspiracy to commit stealing. The embezzlement charge was dropped.
Each defendant pleaded with the court for leniency and asked that they be given a chance to return home and take care of their children and also work to pay back the money they took.
They also asked for forgiveness from Tautua Mo Oe and to their families for the embarrassment they have caused.
Associate Justice Fiti Sunia, assisted by Associate Judge Mamea Sala and Tunupopo Alalafaga sentenced the two to five years impriosonment but execution of sentence is suspended and they are placed on probation for five years, on condition that they serve a jail term of 20 months.
The court deferred 8 months of the sentence and credited the women for the nine months theyve been held at the Territorial Correctional Facility in pre trial confinement.
This means they only have to serve 3 more months in prison.
The women were also fined $2,000 and ordered to pay rgestitution of $37,431 in One’s case and $32,831 in Pauga’s case.
