LIHU‘E — A Kapa‘a woman received probation and time-served after pleading guilty to fraudulent use of a credit card and bail-jumping Thursday in 5th Circuit Court. Maile Mercedes Tague-Valvieja, 25, said that jail has forced her to face a drug
LIHU‘E — A Kapa‘a woman received probation and time-served after pleading guilty to fraudulent use of a credit card and bail-jumping Thursday in 5th Circuit Court.
Maile Mercedes Tague-Valvieja, 25, said that jail has forced her to face a drug addiction that has taken her away from her children for the past six months. She said that after jail she plans to seek drug treatment and would take it seriously.
State Deputy Public Defender Christian Enright said the drugs were the source of the problem that led to the other charges.
He recommended probation with drug treatment.
The charges stem from a period between Feb. 25 and Aug. 25, 2009, when Tague-Valvieja on several occasions used a First Hawaiian Bank MasterCard debit card that did not belong to her. An arrest followed for fraudulent use of a credit card, and second-degree theft.
County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Arin said that Tague-Valvieja got out on bail that was posted by her father. The bail was forfeited when she failed to show up for court.
Tague-Valvieja pleaded guilty to a reduced count of misdemeanor second-degree credit card fraud and bail-jumping.
Judge Kathleen Watanabe ordered Tague-Valvieja to a five-year probation and credit for time served in the bail-jumping case. She ordered a one-year probation for the credit card fraud in addition to paying $579.28 in restitution to the bank and the card holder.
∫ Tom LaVenture, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or tlaventure@thegardenisland.com.
