A man arrested in American Samoa is accused of cutting off part of a U.S. official's ear with a machete over a property dispute, the FBI said yesterday.

Simeti Lualemana, 67, was charged with assaulting a U.S. government employee performing official duties, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, the agency said.

Mark Cunningham, station chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was attacked Monday while taking pictures of a house being built by Lualemana on NOAA-controlled land, officials said. Cunningham had previously told Lualemana the house couldn't be located on the land.

Cunningham lost part of his left ear when he suffered a cut nearly 6 inches long to his neck, the FBI said.

Lualemana is accused of grabbing Cunningham's shirt and attempting to strike him a second time with the machete, but Cunningham pushed him away and fled to a nearby NOAA facility while bleeding profusely, the bureau said.

Cunningham was treated at LBJ Tropical Medical Center, the only hospital in the U.S. territory, and is recovering from his injuries.

Lualemana will be transported to Honolulu for an appearance tomorrow in U.S. District Court, the FBI said.