Cordel A. E. O’Neal sentenced to 7 years 10 months
For having an unlicenced firearm, O'Neal was sentenced to 24 months; for possession of explosives, he was sentenced to four months and for possession of a prohibited weapon, he was sentenced to five and a half years for a total of seven years ten months since the sentences are to run consecutively.
O’Neal had pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful possession of explosives/ammunition when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court at Prospect Reef on January 23, 2015.
He was remanded to prison by Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards and today’s date was set for his sentencing.
However, his mother- a respected and prominent former legislator of the Virgin Islands Mrs Irene Penn-O’Neal, his sister Zubida O’Neal and Shameek Grant, who was also charged for the alleged crime, pleaded not guilty and are currently being tried.
The Magistrate said that in deciding on the length of the sentence, she took into consideration the prevalence of gun crimes in the Virgin Islands and noted that her research found there were some 51 such cases before the courts from 2012 to present. This she said she found alarming.
The four were taken into custody on October 24, 2014 following a raid on their Pockwood Pond home by officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) who were at the time on an operation based on intelligence information gathered.
Mrs Penn-O’Neal, her daughter and the boyfriend of the daughter pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
When Cordel A. E. O’Neal’s father, Mr Otto O'Neal, had appeared in court on February 27, 2015 he described his 29-year-old son as the clown of the family, meaning that he kept the home lively on a daily basis.
Among other things, he recalled that his son was the child who spent the most time in his parents’ bedroom, woke up early and got everyone up in the mornings and fed the dogs that are more familiar with him.
But he also told the court, as he pleaded for leniency for his son, that there were a number of unfortunate experiences in his life that have resulted in him being withdrawn. Among those was evidence of him spending some two years in the USA undergoing surgeries and rehabilitation to an injured hand, the death of close relatives and the death of his first daughter shortly after she was born and him not being able to see her.
He also told of the side of his child that showed his determination to live his dreams as while away for the two years he pursued studies in the area of audio engineering and upon his return to the Virgin Islands built his own studio.
The court was also told that O’Neal was a very generous and caring person and would go the extra mile to help people. The court heard that he gave clothing to persons in prison and others in need and even stood as guarantor for his work peers so they could get credit at the family business.
Following the father’s evidence in the court, O’Neal accepted the opportunity to say something in open court and he apologised to his family, especially his mother and father for having them go through this court process. He also said he had no friends.
25 Responses to “Cordel A. E. O’Neal sentenced to 7 years 10 months”
Those who harbour the guns and those who own them!
The law is not playing no favorertism games here for any one.
All of them!
Well done judge..if you ask me that's not even enough slap another 7 years on that.....also take note, a year in prison time isn't 365days so in reality he'll be doing less than a year