In April 2013, a Cortez-based online education center entered into a historic agreement to expand its reach to the remote Independent State of Samoa.
LeRoy Lafaialii Mariner, a Samoan living in Cortez at the time, was studying political science at Utah State University by taking online classes at the Unlimited Learning Center. One day, he struck up a conversation about his homeland, some 5,600 miles away in the Pacific Ocean, with Ann Miller, executive director of the learning center at E. Second Street.
When she learned that Samoa didn’t have access to web-based educational programs, Miller quickly offered to help. Coincidently, Mariner, who claimed he was the nephew of the Samoan ambassador to the U.S., and he arranged for the ambassador and high-ranking Samoan education, health and cultural affairs ministers to meet with local officials.
Mariner and the Samoan delegation subsequently rubbed elbows with county commissioners, tribal leaders, school leaders and even the sheriff, which all led to a public signing ceremony.
Turns out, it was part of a peculiar international sham.
Local prosecutors issued a summons for Mariner, 28, whose current address is in Salt Lake City, on a dozen felony and misdemeanor theft and fraud charges on June 18, 2014. As part of a plea arrangement on March 17, 2015, Mariner pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor theft count with a four-year deferred judgment on a single felony theft count.
At his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, June 23, Miller described Mariner as an “unscrupulous and blatantly dishonest” liar. She requested that he be jailed, arguing that officials spent numerous man-hours training teachers, developing curriculums and designing tailored online instructions for the poverty-stricken nation.
“This project had so much potential for good,” said Miller. “Instead, it was a project of pure deceit and corruption.”
Miller also told the court that she loaned Mariner her personal credit card for emergency expenses after the Samoan ambassador reportedly lost his wallet.
Using her card, Miller said, the international delegation took a trip to Dallas, and spent about $30,000, some of it on gambling and alcohol spending. Miller said Mariner made promises to refund the expenses, but she never saw a penny.
“Leroy Mariner is a disgrace to the Samoan government and their people,” Miller said. “Leroy Mariner is a disgrace to all of us here in the United States who tried to help him. Leroy Mariner is a disgrace to his family, including his parents, his wife and his own children.”
Todd Risberg, district attorney for the 6th Judicial District in Durango, is serving as a special prosecutor in the case. He said eight victims have requested restitution, which added up to more than $60,000. Ten victims are listed in court records.
“(Mariner’s) diplomatic status doesn’t give him the right to abuse our trust,” said one victim, who photographed the Samoan delegation’s trip to Cortez, Ute Mountain Ute reservation and Mesa Verde National Park. “He needs to learn that his behavior isn’t tolerated in our town, in our state or in our country.”
“A lot of people have been hurt,” said another, who served as a health adviser with the delegates on a return trip to Samoa. “He should be sentenced to jail. He needs time to really think about what he did.”
“I can’t believe we were so gullible,” added a fourth victim, who would have been an online instructor. “He defrauded us.”
Risberg told Chief District Court Judge Doug Walker that other victims opted not to request restitution.
“They decided to eat their losses,” Risberg said.
Risberg and public defender Kenneth Pace described the case as an unusual property crime involving a long-term complex scam that offered Mariner little personal financial gain.
“The scam itself doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” said Risberg, who requested that Mariner be sentenced to 60 days in jail.
“This is one of the strangest cases I’ve ever been a part of,” said Pace, who opposed a jail sentence. “It’s bizarre.”
Pace said Mariner recognizes that he didn’t keep his promises, but he questioned whether the Samoan delegates used Mariner as a pawn.
Pace said Mariner’s only previous conviction was for a domestic offense.
“There’s no pattern here,” Pace said. “That’s what makes this all the stranger.”
Without addressing the accusations, Mariner spoke briefly at Tuesday’s hearing, stating that he’d lose his job if jailed.
“People were hurt,” Mariner said. “I’m sorry.”
A stipulation of the plea deal requires Mariner to pay $40,000 in restitution before his sentencing. As of Tuesday, he hadn’t paid up, so the hearing was postponed until Friday. If Mariner fails to pay, the case will proceed to trial, Risberg said.
“He’s made promises before,” Miller said outside the courtroom after Tuesday’s hearing.
Waiving a finger from side-to-side in an apparent lack of confidence, another victim forecasted, “He won’t pay.”
“This case is headed to trial,” another victim said.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com