A sister of American Samoa's Lt. Governor Faoa Aitofele Sunia has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal more than US$325,000 in federal funds.
Mine Pase was the Executive Director of the American Samoa Special Services
Commission, a government agency that administered a variety of community-based programmes and services focusing on literacy, computer training and support for families of inmates.
She was Executive Director of the commission from March 2001 to October 2010.
An audit by the Inspector General 's Office confirmed irregularities in the spending of federal grants for the commission and the grantor eventually discontinued funding for the commission.
Pase pleaded guilty in the federal District Court in Washington DC under a plea agreement with the federal government last week.
She will be sentenced in March.
