Seven men and one woman appeared in district Court this morning, on charges stemming from a police raid of a residence in Pago Pago on the Veterans Day holiday.
Meriko Lomu, Demitri Tua Fruean, Lasiera Loke, Vaatausili Toimoana, Gogo Sitanilei, Desmond Tupai and David Iosefa face charges of unlawful possession of a controlled susbstance known as methamphetamine. Bail ranges from $5,000 to $30,000, Lomu having the highest bail.
Court filings show that Vice and Narcotics agents executed a search warrant at a home in Pago Pago belonging to Semi Aiava, just after 2pm last Friday, November 11.
Police discovered in a vehicle, that was outside the home, a glass pipe which contained a white crystalline substance. Inside the vehicle were Lomu, Sitanilei and Tupai.
The crystalline substance that was in the glass pipe tested positive as meth.
Defendants who were inside or outside the Aiava home when police executed the search warrant were Loke, Loe, Toimoana and Iosefa.
The woman said, a glass pipe found in the home belonged to her and she told officers she got the drugs from Meriko Lomu.
She further stated that the contraband found on co-defendant Sitanilei belonged to Lomu.
Iosefa told police that he regularly goes to Aiava’s house to play dart and smoke meth.
He admitted that he got the cut up straws, found on him, from Aiava. He also admitted that he smoked with Toimoana and Tua Fruean before the raid was executed. He told officers the drugs belonged to Meriko Lomu.
