SALT LAKE CITY,  Utah  – An alleged gang member on trial in the new federal courthouse was shot Monday after lunging at a person on the witness stand, according to the FBI.

“During the trial this morning the defendant went after, engaged the witness stand, and when he engaged the witness at the witness stand, he was shot by the U.S. Marshals Service,” said Mark Dressen the FBI’s assistant special agent-in-charge for the Utah bureau.

“From what I understand, the defendant may have grabbed a pen or a pencil and charged the witness stand at that time,” he said.

Siale Maveni Angilau, aka “C-Down,” was shot multiple times in the chest.

Angilau was still breathing when he was taken away in an ambulance to a local hospital.  No one else in the courtroom was injured, including the witness who was on the stand.

Dressen did not comment on how many shots were fired, how many times Angilau was hit, or if there were any stray bullets that ended up in the walls or ceiling of the new courtroom.

Court documents say Angilau is a member of the Tongan Crip Gang.

The shooting occurred inside Judge Tena Campbell’s courtroom on the eighth floor during a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act trial involving the alleged member of the Tongan Crip Gang, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Utah.

Portia Louder was in the courtroom next door about 9:30 a.m. She said she didn’t hear the gunshot but said, “I saw marshals run through our courtroom and say, ‘Somebody has been shot.’”

Louder said she wasn’t allowed to leave for about an hour. On the way out, she said a marshal told her, “It was with the Tongan Crip Gang, I guess. The defendant tried to stab the witness on the stand and I believe the marshal shot him.”

Angilau, 25, is the last of more than a dozen alleged TCG members to stand trial in the ongoing case, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The trial started Monday morning. Charges include rackeetering, robbery, carjacking, assault on a federal officer and weapons violations.

In 2011, a jury convicted seven men after a weekslong trial.

Convicted in the case were Eric Kamahele, 24, aka “Smooth”; Mataika Tuai, 22, aka “Fish”; David Kamoto, 24, aka “D-Down”; Daniel Maumau, 25, aka “D-Loc”; Kepa Maumau, 24, aka “Kap-Loc”; and Sitamipa Toki, 28, aka “Tok-Loc.” The jury acquitted David Walsh, 32, aka “D-Nutt.”

Their crimes included robberies, assaults and use of firearms during crimes of violence committed in support of an ongoing criminal organization.

Jurors at the time feared retaliation and wanted assurances from the judge that they would be safe. A note from a juror asking for such assurances nearly caused a mistrial in the case.

The seven men were among 17 suspected TCG members indicted in 2010 under RICO, which prosecutors call a powerful tool for dismantling and disrupting street gangs.

Yellow police tape continued to surround the plaza midday Monday where the entrance to the new courthouse is located. Dressen said the eighth floor would be closed all day. There was no estimate when the rest of the building might be reopened.

“I think the marshals did an exceptional job. They stopped the threat to the witness,” he said.

The new 410,000-square-foot building at the corner of 400 South and West Temple opened just last Monday. It replaced the adjacent Frank E. Moss Courthouse, which was completed in 1905 and hadn’t had any major additions or renovations in 80 years.

SOURCE: KSL

Ongoongo Faka-Tonga / News in Tongan

Fai 'e Tevita Katoa

Mahaloʻi ne fanaʻi ʻe he US Marshal ha mēmipa ʻo e kau kengi Tonga

SALT LAKE CITY,  Utah  – Naʻe fanaʻi ha taha oku mahaloʻi ko e mēmipa ʻo e kau kengi Tonga ʻi he fale hopo foʻou ʻo e vāhengá ʻi he ʻaho Monité hili ʻene ʻohofi ha taha ne ʻi he puha ʻo e kau fakamoʻoní, fakatatau ki he FBI.

Naʻe pehē ʻe Mark Dressen ko e fakafofonga makehe ʻo e FBI ne lolotonga ngāue ʻi he tafaʻaki ko iá ʻi Utah, “Naʻe ʻohofi ʻe he fakaʻiloá lolotonga ʻo e hopó ʻi he pongipongí ni, pea ʻi heʻene faʻaki atu ki he tuʻuʻanga ʻo e fakamoʻoní, pea ʻi heʻene fetakai ko iá, naʻe fanaʻi ai ia ʻe he U.S, Marshal Service”.

Naʻá ne pehē, “Meí he meʻa ko ē naʻe mahino ki aí, mahalo naʻe feinga e fakaʻiloá ke ne toʻo hake ha peni pe peni vahevahe ʻo hangatonu atu ki he tuʻuʻanga ʻo e fakamoʻoní ʻi he taimi ko iá”

“Naʻe toutou fanaʻi ʻa Siale Māveni Angilau, ʻa ia ʻoku  toe ʻiloa ko C-Down, ʻi hono fatafatá.

Naʻe kei moʻui pē foki ʻa Angilau ʻi he taimi naʻe ʻave ai ia ʻi he ambulance ki he fale mahaki pē he feituʻú. Ne ʻikai ke lavea ha taha naʻe ʻi he fale hopó, kau ai ʻa e fakamoʻoni naʻe ʻi he tuʻuʻangá.

Naʻe ʻikai ke lave ʻa Dressen pe ko e foʻi fana ʻe fiha naʻe faí, ko e tuʻo fiha ʻa e fana naʻe tau ʻia Angilaú, pē ne ʻi ai ha ngaahi fana naʻe hala ʻo tau ia ʻi he holisí mo e ʻaofí ʻo e fale hopo foʻoú. 

ʻOku hā ʻi he fakamatala fakamaauʻanga ko Angilau ko e meāmipa ʻo e kau kengi Tonga.

Ko e fana ko ʻení naʻe hoko ia ʻi he loki fakamaauʻanga ʻo Fakamaau Tena Campbell ʻi he funga vaka 8 lolotonga e hopo ko ia ʻi he vā ʻo e Racketeer Influence mo e Corrupt Organisation Act fekauʻaki mo e tukuakiʻi ko ia ʻo e mē mipa ʻo e Kau Kengi Tongá fakatatau ki he fefine talitali fononga ki he ʻŌfisi U.S Attorney ʻi Utah. 

Ko Portia Lauder naʻe ʻi he loki hoko maí pea memei ko e 9:30am. Naʻá ne pehē naʻe ʻikai fanongo ia ki he pā ʻa e faná ka ne pehē, “Naʻá ku sio ki he lele ʻa e ʻōfisa sōtia maʻolunga ʻi loto fale hopo mo ne pehē, “Kuo fanaʻi e toko taha”

Naʻe pehē ʻe Louder naʻe taʻofi ia ke ʻoua naʻa mavahe ʻo ofi ʻi he houa ʻe tahá. Naʻá ne lave ki hono tala ange ʻe he ʻōfisa sōtia maʻolunga ʻi heʻene lue mai ki tuʻá, Kuó u tui ko e meʻa ʻeni ki he Kau Kengi Tongá. Naʻe feinga e fakaʻiloá ke hokaʻi ʻaki ha meʻa ʻa e fakamoʻoni ne ʻi he puha pea kuó u tui naʻe fanaʻi ia ʻe he ʻōfisa sōtia maʻolungá”.

Fakatatau ki he lau ʻa e U.S. Attorney Office, Ko Angilau, taʻu 25, ko e fakamuimui taha ia ʻo e niʻihi ne hopoʻi ʻi hono tukuakiʻi ʻi he kau kengi Tongá (TCG) ʻi he keisi ʻoku lolotonga lele. Naʻe kamata e hopó ʻi he pongipongi Monité. Ko e fakaʻiló ʻoku kau ai ʻa e ngaahi ngāue maumau lao, kaihaʻa, faʻao fakamālohi ʻo ha kā, ʻohofi ʻo ha ʻōfisa fakapuleʻanga mo e ngaahi maumau lao fekauʻaki mo e naunau tau.

Ko e 2011, naʻe tautea ai ʻe he kau sulá ha toko 7 hili ia ha hopo uike ʻe taha.

Naʻe tauteaʻi ʻi he keisi ko ʻení ʻa Eric Kamahele, 24, ne ʻiloa ko “Smooth”; Mataika Tuai, 22, ne ʻiloa ko “Fish”; David Kamoto, 24, ne ʻiloa ko “D-Down”; Daniel Maumau, 25, ne ʻiloa ko “D-Loc”; Kepa Maumau, 24, ne ʻiloa ko “Kap-Loc”; peá mo Sitamipā Toki, 28, ne ʻiloa ko Tok-Loc.” Naʻe tuʻutuʻuni e kau sulá ke tuku ange ʻa David Walsh, 32, ne ʻiloa ko “D-Nutt.”

Ko ʻenau hiá naʻe kau ai ʻa e kaihaʻa, fakamamahi mo e ngāueʻaki ʻo ha meʻafana ki he kaihaʻa ko e fakaʻaiʻai ʻo ha kautaha faihia.

Naʻe manavahē foki e kau sula ʻo e keisi ko iá naʻa ʻi ai ha fakatanga pea naʻa nau fiemaʻu ke fakapapauʻi ange meí he fakamaaú te nau malu. Naʻe meimei hoko ha fehalaaki ʻi he hopó tuʻunga ʻi ha kiʻi fakamatala tohi meí ha taha ʻo e kau sulá.

Ko e kau tangata ʻe toko 7 ko iá ko e konga ia ʻo e toko 17 ʻoku tukuakiʻi ko e mēmipa ʻo e TCG ne fakaʻilo ʻi he 2010 ʻi he lao ko ia ki he maumau lao mo e ngaahi kautaha fakamoveuveu (RICO)  ʻa ia ne fiemaʻu ai ʻe he kau ʻōfisa talatalaakí ha tuʻutuʻuni fefeka ke veteki mo veuki ʻaki ʻa e kengi he hala puleʻangá.

Naʻe kei takaiʻi pē ʻe he tepi engeenga ʻa e kau polisí ʻa e falé ʻi he hoʻatā Monité ʻa e feituʻu hūʻanga ko ē ki he falehoopo foʻoú. Naʻe pehē ʻe Dressen ko e loki 8 ia ʻe tāpuni ʻaho kakato ia. ʻOku ʻikai leva ha maʻu pau pe ʻe fakaava fakakū ʻa e toenga ʻo e ngaahi lokí.

Naʻá ne pehē, “ʻOku tui ia ne fakahoko ʻehe kau ʻōfisa sōtia maʻolungá ha ngāue maʻongoʻonga. Naʻa nau taʻofi ʻa e fakamanavahē ko ia ki he fakamoʻoní.”

Ko e fale foʻou sikuea fute ko eni ʻe 410,000 ʻi he tuliki ʻo e 400 South mo e West Temple naʻe toki huufi pē ʻi he Mōnite ʻo e uike kuo ʻosí. Ko e fetongi ʻo e Fale Hopo Frank E. Moss, ʻa ia ne kamata ngāueʻaki ʻi he 1905 peá ne teʻeki ke fakahoko ha fakalahi pe ha liliu ki ai ʻi he taʻu ʻaki ʻeni ʻe 80.