For Immediate Release

Honolulu, HI – On September 27, 2011 in the early morning hours, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force arrested wanted fugitive Joseph Faauga Vaimili, age 29 of Waipahu, at a residence in Houston, Texas. Vaimili, a convicted felon, was wanted by the State of Hawaii for felony offenses for two counts of kidnapping, carrying or use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, promoting prostitution in the first degree, and terroristic threatening in the first degree. Vaimili fled from Hawaii and had been on the run for over a year.

Vaimili was originally arrested on the charges back in March of 2009 at which time he was released on bond awaiting trial. Two days before Vaimili was scheduled to appear for trial in July of 2010, Vaimili fled the state of Hawaii and has been on the run since. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office sought the assistance of the Hawaii Fugitive Task Force in locating and arresting Vaimili to be brought back to Hawaii.

Through the joint law enforcement efforts of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force to include the Hawaii State Sheriff’s Office, Honolulu Police Department, and the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office; Marshals and Task Force Officers tracked Vaimili to the States of Nevada, California, and finally to Texas. After conducting early morning surveillance, Marshals in Houston tracked Vaimili to a Houston residence where he was subsequently arrested without incident.

Vaimili is currently being held at the Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas pending extradition back to Hawaii. While on the run, Vaimili’s trial went forward without his presence and a Honolulu jury subsequently convicted him of all charges. Vaimili is looking at a potential sentence of 40 to 50 years in prison on all charges.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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