27 Jun 2015

Former American Samoa official jailed for fraud

10:01 am on 27 June 2015

A former cabinet member in American Samoa, Evelyn Vaitautolu Langford, has been sentenced to 22 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $US 260,000.

American Samoa police headquarters

American Samoa police headquarters Photo: Supplied

Langford served under former Governor Togiola Tulafono as director of Human Resources and Governor's Authorized Representative to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

She pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and bribery.

She admitted asking for and obtaining loans from a company that was awarded a sole source contract of $US 4.7 million by the American Samoa government to provide training for displaced workers following the 2009 tsunami.

The two loans which Langford received from the company Native Hawaiian Holdings Company totalled $US 260,000.