A 35-year-old California man who allegedly sold 25 pounds of methamphetamine to a federal informant and assaulted an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration entered a plea of not guilty Friday.
Venasio Saipelasi Tuipulotu was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess
with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine and
one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
His trial was set for
Aug. 15 at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright.
Tuipulotu’s attorney,
Assistant Federal Public
Defender Maximilian J.
Mizono, did not immediately reply to Honolulu Star-Advertiser requests for comment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall H. Silverberg, who is prosecuting the case for the government, declined comment.
On two separate occasions a confidential source, identified in court documents as “CS-1,” arranged through recorded telephone calls the purchase of 5 and then 20 pounds of meth.
When DEA agents identified themselves before arresting him in Waikiki, Tuipulotu allegedly dropped a backpack full of meth and fled on foot down the street.
Tuipulotu was pursued and eventually arrested, but during the process of taking him into custody, he “physically assaulted a federal law enforcement agent,” according to court documents. The DEA agent suffered minor injuries and has recovered.
On April 25, CS-1 called Tuipulotu to discuss the sale and distribution of crystal methamphetamine. Using coded language, Tuipulotu agreed to provide CS-1 with 5 pounds of methamphetamine, on consignment, and both discussed the future sale and distribution of 25 pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $2,250 per pound, according to the complaint.
CS-1 has four felony
convictions, including for promoting a dangerous drug in the second degree and three for unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and theft, “none of which bear on veracity or honesty.”
DEA agents arrested Tuipulotu June 2 in Waikiki after the confidential source set up the sale for the 20 pounds of meth. DEA agents allegedly found 20 pounds of methamphetamine in his backpack.
