DR woman to spend 4 months @ HMP; Fined $1K for Illegal Entry
She was also fined $1,000 and that fine must be paid in seven days or spend two more months at the prison.
De Polanco was caught trying to exit the Virgin Islands via the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island on July 8, 2020, after entering illegally.
She was charged with ‘Landing in the Territory without leave from an Immigration Officer’ on July 8, 2020, and later pleaded guilty before the court on July 14, 2020.
According to the court, the defendant entered into the Territory on a date unknown between June 27 and July 8, 2020.
She was coming from St Thomas, USVI, and arrived on Tortola, where she was taken to a house for a few days before she attempted to leave at the airport.
When she passed through security and then customs, officials there realised she did not have an entry stamp and asked her to step aside.
After having a conversation with her, she was brought to the Road Town Police Station where she was interviewed.
$1K Trip
During the interview with police, De Polanco reportedly told them she came to the Territory on a vessel.
She said she had to pay $1,000 to be brought in.
The officers then laid the charge on her.
Want to go home
Addressing the court on her behalf during her arraignment hearing, lawyer Nelson Samuel said his instruction was that his client, a widow, was diagnosed with a lump in her breasts and was desirous of going home to her children in the Dominican Republic.
He then asked the court to impose a fine as opposed to a custodial sentence and allow her the opportunity to continue to work and look after her children.
However, Magistrate Ayana O. Baptiste-DaBreo said she was baffled as to the reason why this defendant decided to pay for an illegal ride to the Territory, yet the borders are still closed.
Medical report is old!
She then questioned why the defendant didn’t remain in the USVI and fly out directly to her home country because the borders there are open.
She then asked for the medical document to be produced to the court on the defendant’s behalf.
When the medical document was presented to the court during the zoom sentencing, it was revealed that the tests in question were done in October 2019 and not recently.
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