Shocking new details link 2021 murder victim to methamphetamine distribution ring
Victim Mo Maumalanga was shot to death in 2021. Documents filed in federal court allege that a 2021 Aiea murder was connected to a methamphetamine distribution ring, which included both suspect Filimone Tavake and victim, Malakai "Mo" Maumalanga. The allegations were made in a memorandum filed to detain Tavake, who was arrested in California and indicted by a federal grand jury. The document also revealed that investigators located approximately eight pounds of suspected methamphetamine at the victim's residence and a portion of the drugs tested positive for 452.7 grams of methamphetamine. If convicted, Tavake could face life in federal prison.
gepubliceerd : 4 weken geleden door Ben Gutierrez in General
SAN FRANCISCO (HawaiiNewsNow) - Documents filed in federal court allege that a 2021 Aiea murder was tied to a methamphetamine ring that included both suspect Filimone Tavake and his victim, Malakai “Mo” Maumalanga.
The allegations were in a memorandum filed in federal court in San Francisco in order to detain Tavake, who was arrested in California Friday and also was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Maumalanga was gunned down in the carport of his Aiea residence. As a former gang member, he he worked for more than two decades counseling at risk children at the non-profit Adult Friends for Youth.
The court document indicate that Maumalanga hadn’t given up a life involving crime.
The document says, “It was learned that Tavake was providing the victim methamphetamine for the victim to sell.”
It also says ““Investigators located approximtely eight (8) pounds of suspected methamphetamine at the victim’s residence. A portion of the suspected methamphetamine was submitted for analysis and tested positive for 452.7 grams of methamphetamine.”
Prosecutors said the drugs had a street value of $36,000 to $44,000.
The document concludes, “Tavake murdered the victim after the victim failed to timely pay Tavake for methamphetamine Tavake provided to the victim.”
“When you find a large amount of drugs in the residence, then you know the individual came to collect on that debt,” said retired federal agent and former police officer Tommy Aiu. “It was now a drug-related homicide. A hit, based on the information.”
“What the government has done is they’re showing the motive for the killing in order to make out some of the crimes, which is that it was involved in drug dealing and that a gun was used,” said retired federal public defender Alexander Silvert.
The memorandum also said investigators went through Maumalanga’s cell phone, which had several calls and text messages linked to Tavake.
“These messages were consistent with drug distribution and included threats to the victim if the victim did not pay money that was owed for narcotics that had been provided,” it said.
Investigators also identified a phone number linked to a rented 2019 Chevrolet Equinox that “was consistent with the vehicle” that was seen in a surveillance video. Investigators with search warrants for phone records, which showed “that Tavake’s phone and the OnStar vehicle phone number were communicating with the cellular tower closest to the victim’s residence at the time of the homicide.”
The document goes on to say that the rental vehicle was returned 27 minutes at the homicide, and that Tavake flew from Honolulu to San Francisco the next day.
Experts said the information is only coming out now because of the amount of possible evidence and the size and scope of the apparent drug operation.
“There’s just this whole link chart of all that intel,” said Aiu. “When you add in the phones, when you add in the GPS, when you add the criminal history and associates, it just paints a huge picture of what this criminal organization is.”
“Initially you want to give the benefit of the doubt to the victim,” Silvert said. “But it’s not uncommon, unfortunately, that oftentimes these are situations that end up where allegedly the victim was part of the drug dealing and was killed, either because they knew too much or because they didn’t pay their debt.”
If convicted, Tavake faces life in federal prison. Prosecutors have asked the court to keep Tavake in custody and return him to Hawaii to face trial.
Onderwerpen: Crime, Murder