He was remanded in custody and was due to appear in the High Court in Napier on June 8.
Pati’s family previously named him publicly as Tulasunu’i Keith Alapati.
A family spokeswoman said earlier that he arrived in New Zealand in 2024 to “find a future for his family”.
His family would forever remember him as a “humble, loving guy”, she said.
“He was a great father, friend, brother, and cousin.”