Defendants in Holiday Oil Robbery Sentenced to Lengthy Federal Prison Terms

SALT LAKE CITY—Naisa Angilau, age 25, of Salt Lake City, will spend 10 years in federal prison for his role in an October 2009 armed robbery of Holiday Oil at 4783 West 6200 South in West Jordan. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson imposed the sentence Wednesday afternoon.

Angilau and a co-defendant in the case, Sione Vatuvei, age 24, of Salt Lake City, were charged in a three-count indictment returned in October 2009 with robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Vatuvei also was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Angilau pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the discharge a firearm during the robbery. As a part of documents filed with the court, Angilau and Vatuvei admitted they entered the Holiday Oil business about 9:40 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2009. Angilau said he went back to the beer cooler and grabbed four 12 packs of beer. Vatuvei went behind the counter and demanded that the clerk give him cigarettes. Angilau said that during the commission of the robbery, he heard Vatuvei fire a gun. The pair took the beer and cigarettes and left the store.

Witnesses at the store saw Angilau and Vatuvei get into a white four-door sedan as they left the scene. West Jordan police officers stopped Angilau and Vatuvei shortly after the robbery and found the stolen beer and cigarettes in their car along with items of clothing matching what was worn during the robbery.

Vatuvei, who was sentenced to 157 months in federal prison in September, pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Vatuvei admitted brandishing a Lorcin .380 handgun during the robbery and discharging a round into the floor.

The case was investigated by the West Jordan Police Department and special agents of the ATF and FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.