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