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Date: 11-22-2022

Case Style:

United States of America v. Faamanu Vaifanua, aka “Junior”and Macauther Christmas Vaifanua, aka “Mac”

Case Number: 3:18-cr-00106

Judge: Sharon Gleason

Court: United States District Court for the District of Alaska (Anchorage Borough)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office

Defendant's Attorney:




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Description: Anchorage, Alaska criminal law lawyers represented Defendants charged with kidnapping and drug trafficking.

Believing that the victim had stolen drugs from them, Macarthur Christmas Vaifanua, a/k/as "Mac" lured the victim to his home on August 13, 2017. As the victim was leaving the residence, he was led instead into the garage where he was forcibly bound and gagged. The victim was then beaten and tortured for nearly an hour by Faamanu Faifanus, a/k/a "Junion" and Mac and two other co-defendants in an assault that was captured on Mac’s home video surveillance system. The Vaifanua brothers and their co-defendants used an aluminum baseball bat, a metal broom stick and their hands and feet to beat the defendant into unconsciousness, causing severe injuries and permanent disability. After a certain point, believing that the victim was either dead or near death, they placed the victim inside a metal dog kennel while still bound and gagged.

The Vaifanua brothers and co-defendants then threatened a person in the area at gunpoint to back his pickup truck to the garage door. The group loaded the kennel into the back of the truck with the victim still in it. The driver was told at gunpoint to leave and never be seen again. After driving away from the area, the driver stopped to see what had been loaded into his truck. Upon seeing the victim, he immediately drove to a hospital emergency room where the victim received life-saving medical attention including brain surgery.

“Junior” Vaifanua pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping and drug trafficking charges in June 2021.

“This was a calculated act of savagery against another human being, not a random act of violence,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The Vaifanua brothers will spend decades in federal prison for their complete disregard for human life. Drug dealers across the state should take note – vicious attacks will not be tolerated for any reason. My office is committed to working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served.”

“The defendant’s cruel disregard to human life and suffering is appalling,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Donald W. Lee II of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “When individuals, such as the defendant and his co-conspirators, threaten the safety of our neighborhoods and communities, they will be met with a certain justice.”

“The abuse suffered by the victim is heinous,” stated Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle. “The physical, emotional, and psychological effects of this magnitude of trauma are incomprehensible. It is our sincere hope today’s sentencing will aid in the victim’s life-long healing process.”

Co-defendants in this case include:

Macauther Christmas Vaifanua, 35, aka “Mac” was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison on kidnapping and drug trafficking charges.
Jeffrey Ahvan, 33, pleaded guilty to kidnapping in October 2019 and is awaiting sentencing.
Rex Faumui, 28, pleaded guilty to kidnapping in October 2022 and is awaiting sentencing.
Tamole Lauina, 25, was sentenced to seven years in prison on being an accessory after the fact charge.

The Anchorage Police Department (APD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S Marshals Service (USMS) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan A. Collins and Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

21:846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) DRUG TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY
(1)

18:924(c)(1)(A)(ii) BRANDISHING A FIREARM DURING AND IN RELATION TO A DRUG TRAFFICKING CRIME
(2)

18:1201(a) KIDNAPPING
(3)

Outcome: Junior was sentenced to 369 months, 5 years Supervised Release, $200 Special Assessment, $981,171.73 Restitution. Count 2 DISMISSED.

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