Anchorage, Alaska – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Feldis announced today, June 22, 2010, that Maataua Manogiamanu of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 10 years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his conviction of being a felon in possession of firearms.

Senior United States District Court Judge H. Russel Holland imposed the sentence on Manogiamanu, age 38.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne Lamoureux, who prosecuted the case, Manogiamanu pled guilty to the one-count indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms. Manogiamanu was found with three firearms in his home – a revolver, an assault-style handgun with a high capacity magazine, and an assault-style rifle with a high capacity magazine. Manogiamanu is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms due to his prior felony convictions in the District of Alaska for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and in the State of Alaska for eluding a peace officer in the first degree.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Holland emphasized the defendant's long history of violence, including repeated violent confrontations with police officers. Judge Holland noted that Manogiamanu was a danger to his family, the police and to the public. At the time of the offense, Manogiamanu was on probation for the State of Alaska conviction for eluding a peace officer in the first degree. His sentence is to be served concurrently with a separate sentenced imposed by the State of Alaska sentence for violating the terms of his probation.

Mr. Feldis commended the Anchorage Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Manogiamanu. Manogiamanu was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhood program, a nationwide commitment to reducing firearm and gang crime in America.

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