WASHINGTON, D.C. - The former Director of the American Samoa Department of Education has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, and the former Director of the American Samoa Department of Health and Social Services has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, both on charges of conspiring to commit bribery and fraud concerning federal programs, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. “No public official is above the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. “This case demonstrates the Department's determination to wipe out public corruption, and the great distance we will go to prosecute offenders in all states and U.S. Territories.”
Kerisano Sili Sataua, former Director of the American Samoa Department of Education (ASDOE), was sentenced by the Honorable David Alan Ezra at U.S. District Court in Honolulu on Monday. In addition to the prison sentence and fine, Sataua was ordered to pay $61,000 restitution to the government of American Samoa. Sataua previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit bribery and fraud concerning federal programs, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
The charges against Sataua stem from his use of his official position to fraudulently award federally-funded ASDOE contracts in exchange for at least $9,000. Further, Sataua stole and misappropriated food and goods from the School Lunch Program that were supposed to have been used for feeding children in the American Samoa Public School System.
Patolo Mageo, former Director of the American Samoa Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), was sentenced by the Honorable Helen Gillmor at U.S. District Court in Honolulu on Monday. In addition to the prison sentence and fine, Mageo was ordered to pay $41,000 restitution to the government of American Samoa. Mageo previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit bribery and fraud concerning federal programs, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
The charges against Mageo stem from his role in a conspiracy to fraudulently award DHSS contracts. Mageo admitted that he defrauded the DHSS of at least $40,000 by fraudulently awarding several federally-funded construction contracts for the Women, Infants and Children government building and other contracts for DHSS. Mageo further admitted that he used his official position as Director to approve the fraudulent award of other federally-funded contracts in exchange for at least $10,000.
In a related case, on October 3, 2005, Fa’au Seumanutafa, the former Director of the American Samoa Department of Procurement, was sentenced by Judge Ezra to eight months in prison and a $5,000 fine, and ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution. Seumanutafa had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit bribery and fraud concerning federal programs, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. The charges against Seumanutafa stem from his role in a conspiracy to pre-set the prices on several federally-funded American Samoa Department of Education contracts for bookshelves and library furniture for American Samoa schools. Seumanutafa used his official position to approve and submit for payment from the American Samoa Department of the Treasury numerous false purchase orders for which he received at least thousands of dollars. In a related case, on October 6, 2005, Toetu Solaita, former Program Director of the American Samoa School Lunch Program, was sentenced by Judge Ezra to five years probation and 1,000 hours of community service and ordered to pay $68,000 in restitution. Solaita previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii to one count of conspiring to commit fraud concerning federal programs, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. The charges against Solaita stem from his role in a conspiracy to steal food and goods from the American Samoa School Lunch Program. Solaita admitted that he used his official position to approve his and his coconspirators’ theft of food and goods purchased by the School Lunch Program that were supposed to have been used for feeding children in the American Samoa Public School System. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Seumanutafa, Solaita, Mageo, and Sataua prosecutions are the first public corruption cases to be prosecuted by federal officials for conduct in American Samoa.
These cases are being prosecuted by trial attorneys James A. Crowell IV and Daniel Schwager of the Public Integrity Section at the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division- headed by Section Chief Noel L. Hillman-and investigated by the Honolulu Office of the FBI, the Department of Education Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Interior Office of Inspector General.
###
05-553