The possession of an illegal gun and several rounds of ammunition has cost a man $25 000, of which $15 000 had to be paid forthwith on Friday.
Justice Carlisle Greaves imposed the fine on Roger Ricardo Hutson, from Welches Terrace, St Thomas in the No. 3 Supreme Court.
He had pleaded guilty to the May 22, 2017 charges of having possession of a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and 16 rounds of ammunition. He also admitted that not being an authorised dealer and without consent of the Exchange Control Authority, retained and failed to offer or cause to be offered for sale to an authorised dealer certain foreign currency, namely US$2 055 and CAD$515.
The court heard that police acting on information executed a search warrant at Hutson’s residence and found a firearm in the pocket of a painting that was attached to a wall.
“I have that there for my protection,” Hutson told the officer. “Well, well, well, how you find that?”
Senior State Counsel Neville Watson said Hutson had also stated “I get that from a brethren . . . for my protection”, when asked how he came to have the weapon in his possession.
“I am sorry for what occurred,” Hutson told the court on Friday.
The prosecutor as well as defence attorneys Andrew Pilgrim Q.C. and Martie Garnes agreed that a $25 000 fine should be imposed on the convicted man and the foreign currency forfeited.
Justice Greaves then imposed a $15 000 forthwith fine for the firearm offence. The remaining $10 000, he said, must be paid in three months.
If Hutson fails to adhere to the sentence and settle the amounts, he will spend five years in prison, which is the remainder of an eight-year starting sentence.
He was convicted, reprimanded, and discharged on the foreign currency charge after the judge ruled that the sums be forfeited to the state.
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