Leroy Matagolai Arriola may be going to prison for an additional 10 years after Attorney General Douglas Moylan and his prosecutors secured a jury verdict against him for promoting drugs in prison.
Mr. Arriola, who already is serving a prison term for a previous case, was indicted last year after Lanielynn Lenette Arriola allegedly brought him a bag containing meth. According to the prosecutor’s declaration of probable cause in the case, Department of Corrections officers searched the bag she brought for Mr. Arriola at the Visitor Processing Center in the Mangilao facility on November 21, 2022, and found the drugs among other items.
According to the indictment, Mr. Arriola solicited the drugs by “commanding, encouraging, or requesting Lanielynn Lenette Arriola” to do so.
The news release from the Office of the Attorney General of Guam follows:
The Attorney General wishes to thank the 12 Jurors for their having rendered a guilty verdict yesterday afternoon protecting our community in People v. Leroy Matagolai Arriola, CF694-22. We also wish to thank Judge John C. Terlaje for presiding over this felony jury trial.
The prosecutors who successfully presented the evidence to protect our Community was Kristine Borja ([email protected]). The Criminal Investigator who helped prosecute our case was Investigator Anthony Camacho.
A Jury of 12 law-abiding citizens among us, unanimously decided that Mr. Leroy Matagolai Arriola violated the law by soliciting to Promote Major Prison Contraband (As a 2nd Degree Felony). Defendant has a criminal history. The Jury quickly returned a verdict in about three hours. Please find the attached Superceding Indictment. Judge Terlaje’s sentencing for Mr. Arriola is forthcoming & we will seek the maximum sentence from Judge Terlaje of 10 years.
This verdict is another victory by this “toughest on crime” AG’s Office. This new AG’s Office is prosecuting to the fullest extent that the law allows against those involved in distributing meth into our prisons. No rehabilitation can start when prisoners continue to take drugs in prison. Those bringing them drugs deserve to become prisoners themselves. This AG and our Prosecution Team is committed to cleaning house, and starting with our own facilities. We also thank the DOC & GPD officers who helped to secure this conviction. This is just one of the many cases that this new AG’s Office is now vigorously prosecuting seeking harsh prison time to deter meth addicts and dealers. The third co-defendant Lanielynn Arriola awaits trial for her having been the prison visitor who was allegedly caught trying to smuggle meth into DOC, Mangilao in the sole of a shoe. We will not stop, because the criminals won’t.
