Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Puerto Rican & Ugandan held @ TB Lettsome Airport with large amounts of $$

- Ugandan pleads guilty
45-year-old businessman Alexis Perez from Puerto Rico, left, and 35-year-old Chelsea Mutyaba from Uganda, East Africa, right, at the Magistrate's Court on March 10, 2020. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Two men – one from Puerto Rico and one from Uganda – were held one day apart at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island with a quantity of undeclared cash.

The men, 45-year-old businessman Alexis Perez from Puerto Rico and 35-year-old Chelsea Mutyaba from Uganda, East Africa, were caught on March 6 and 5, 2020 respectively.

They were both charged with failing to declare monies to customs and made their maiden appearance before Senior Magistrate Tamia N. Richards on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

Perez did not enter a plea, but Mutyaba pleaded guilty to the offence.

Mutyaba was also charged with the offence of smuggling but was not made to plead. The matter will be brought back before the court today, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, with amendments to the previously error-riddled charge document.

African Man

Mutyaba was caught on March 5, 2020 when he was getting ready to exit the Territory with the sum of $23,241.

He allegedly concealed $13, 001 in the left side of his Adidas shoe and $10,240 was hidden inside a pair of pants in his suitcase.

The Ugandan was subsequently transported to the Road Town Police Station with the cash, which was later tallied and photographed by members of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).

In addition, he was interviewed under caution when he revealed that while he lived in Africa and worked as an accountant; he came from Grenada where his baby’s mother resided and was heading back there.

The defendant reportedly told members of the RVIPF that most of the cash came from selling a piece of land he inherited from his father in his home country.

According to Senior Prosecutor Tamara Foster, the price the land was sold for was reportedly equivalent to US $18,000.

She said the defendant informed that he arrived in the Territory with $25,000, and used some of the cash to pay for his accommodation and food.

He stated that he was aware that he had to declare the cash but chose not to do so, to avoid the authorities.

He had plans to scout out a viable business venture and had planned to rent a house in the Territory, but the price was too high, the court heard.

Mutyaba arrived in the Virgin Islands on February 29, 2020.

He did not have a legal representative.

PR Man 

Perez was held with $39,800 on March 6, 2020 at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.

The cash was found inside different articles of clothing in his luggage.

Senior Prosecutor Foster said after the find Perez was taken into police custody and the items were tallied, labelled, sealed and photographed in the defendant’s presence by police.

Later, during an interview with the RVIPF, the defendant said he was a livestock farmer and also installed horseshoes.

The defendant said, when he first arrived in the airport, he incorrectly answered the questions on the Immigration/Customs Declaration Form. 

He said he was later assisted by a young lady to complete a new form, but during that time, she did not ask him if he had cash to declare to the authorities and he did not tell her of the money.

Attorney Stephen R. Daniels represents this defendant.

$$ detained 

Meanwhile, the cash in both cases was detained for a period of three months by the state.

It will allow the state to investigate the source of the funds in the ongoing investigations, Senior Prosecutor Foster said.

Both men were ordered to be placed on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut in the meantime and are scheduled to return to the court today.

14 Responses to “Puerto Rican & Ugandan held @ TB Lettsome Airport with large amounts of $$”

  • Stock Market (11/03/2020, 06:30) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    how about those that entire via private sailing vacations
  • asking for a friend (11/03/2020, 06:36) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    How much cash?
  • Stay Woke (11/03/2020, 08:00) Like (67) Dislike (11) Reply
    Fun Fact - The “CoRoNaViRuS” is actually 5G that’s why no locals here caught it, that’s why the lady who came from the U.K got it because she was exposed to 5G while she was abroad, no one she gets in contact with will get it, the cruise ships upgraded their internet to 5G powered technologies and they all got sick, China put their 5G networks on and they got sick, Americans not too long put theirs on and guess what... Fahie is promoting faster net with satellites and guess what has faster nets and satellites 5G, don’t be led to the slaughter house, because you and your kids will suffer
    • fool (11/03/2020, 09:08) Like (15) Dislike (28) Reply
      I can't believe 29 people liked your foolish comment
    • Really? (11/03/2020, 13:46) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      @stay woke: can you point us to a single credible source that supports your absurd allegations? What next, cockroaches are alien creatures that will morph into humanoids once cell phones have taken over human brains?
    • @stay Woke (11/03/2020, 14:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Most likely, melanin and/ or sunlight,are corona virus resistant.
    • @stay Woke (11/03/2020, 15:18) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      The waves from 5g only break down microorganism which weakens immune system it does not give anybody corona virus. Sound like you struggling to stay woke.....it would make sense if you said corona has always been there and with 5g weakening immune systems by killing biological material we have now been made vulnerable to many diseases we never were vulnerable too before.
  • Great Security Job. (11/03/2020, 08:47) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    They know exactly what they were doing. Why is a Female office holding the accuses when a male office strolled behind swinging his hands... The male officer with a male suspect needed to take charge... The BVI Treasury is $60.000 Richer
  • ABC (11/03/2020, 08:58) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    It had some people from here went to Uganda I hope there is no connection lol
  • GG (11/03/2020, 12:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This puerto Rican was in the hospital last night with the police
  • GG (11/03/2020, 14:27) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    what happen to the local man them hold with the money why is that on the low ?????


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.