Taliau Tauvela-Afalava, Murder, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Hawaii 2021

Man Charged with Murder in Methamphetamine Trafficking Case

A second man, Taliau Tauvela-Afalava, 31, of Aiea, Hawaii, has been charged with murder and other crimes related to a methamphetamine trafficking operation.

According to court documents, Tauvela-Afalava and co-defendant Filimone Tavake, 38, of San Francisco, allegedly killed a victim on March 27, 2021 in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy.

The victim was shot multiple times as he was standing outside his home. Video surveillance footage obtained during the investigation showed a vehicle with no license plates driving near the victim’s home shortly before the shooting.

The superseding indictment adds Tauvela-Afalava as a co-defendant with Tavake, whom the grand jury indicted on March 21, 2024 and law enforcement arrested on March 22, 2024.

Tauvela-Afalava is charged with:

• Carry, use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime
• Causing the death of a person through use of a firearm
• Killing while engaged in conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
• Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine

If convicted, Tauvela-Afalava faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The FBI and Honolulu Police Department are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Christina Taylor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar are prosecuting the case.

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