Caretaker arrested for defrauding an elderly dementia patient in Irvine
A Tongan woman was arrested for defrauding an older man in the United States.
Talia Vaipulu, 44, of Hawaiian Gardens, allegedly stole the money from an older man diagnosed with dementia, according to the Irvine Police Department.
Vaipulu, an in-home caregiver, is suspected of using her client’s credit card multiple times before discreetly returning it to his wallet.
Detectives diligently collected evidence and surveillance footage to build their case.
Vaipulu was booked at Orange County Jail for identity theft and theft by a caretaker.
Faka’osilea and Pelikani drug sentences reduced
Mr Seiana Fakaosilea’s appeal against sentence is allowed. The sentence of 13 years and two months’ imprisonment is set aside and substituted with a sentence of 10 years and eight months’ imprisonment.
Mr Richard Pelikani’s appeal against sentence is allowed. The sentence of four years and 11 months’ imprisonment is set aside and substituted with a sentence of three years and ten months’ imprisonment.
Fakaosilea and Pelikani were found guilty by a jury in August 2022 of the 600kg methamphetamine scheme, which police described as a plan to smuggle drugs worth roughly $90 million from a supplier in South Africa.
Prosecutors said during the trial that they don’t know if the meth ever made its way to New Zealand, but simply trying to put the plan in motion is a criminal offence.
Longani Latu pleads guilty after kava bust in Australia
A Tongan man who was found with a large amount of kava in Australia has pleaded guilty.
Longani Latu appeared in Darwin Local Court via video link after supplying and possessing 390 kilograms of kava, which was intended for Indigenous communities across Arnhem Land.
Longoni Latu and his accomplice drove thousands of kilometres with 390 kilograms of kava to sell the drug to remote communities.
On a separate note, Northern Territory Police have arrested 2 men in relation to the trafficking of an illicit substance into a remote community.
On Tuesday 9 July, Dog Operations Unit (DOU) attended Darwin Airport and apprehended a male believed to be involved in the trafficking of large quantities of kava whilst utilising and travelling under a false identity.
Investigations later confirmed that the male was travelling using false identification and that he was unlawfully in Australia.
