Tearful Luis Sprauve pleads guilty in airport suitcase fiasco
The father of five broke down in tears as he offered an apology to the court and to his family for being involved in the act. The offence carries a penalty of 6 months imprisonment or a fine of three thousand dollars or a combination of both.
A self-employed Electrician, Sprauve told the court that members of his family did not have any criminal history and were not accustomed to being in trouble. "Something like this happened to me and telling everybody I'm guilty... can't explain... right now... can't explain," he said between tears yesterday.
The charges stemmed from allegations made in 2011 that the defendant was seen transporting an undisclosed amount of money which was then flown out by a private aircraft YV436T bound for Venezuela.
The Crown claimed that the defendant is part of a drug trafficking ring that came to light earlier in the year 2011. He was charged for the offence on September 21, 2011 and pleaded not guilty after appearing in court initially.
It is alleged that on Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 6:55 A.M., a small white vehicle pulled up at the Terrance B. Lettsome International airport and the accused in the driver's seat was seen reversing from the departure to the arrival area where he met Linda Todman-Huggins, a Customs Officer who has since been sentenced to two years for bribery and assisting another with retaining the benefits of criminal conduct.
CCTV footage showed the individual removing a suitcase from the passenger's side and giving it to Mrs. Todman-Linda Huggins, and from the back of the vehicle, another suitcase was taken and the defendant allegedly carried it to the arrival area where Customs is located.
While in the Customs area, it is alleged that the two suitcases were handed over to a male person identified as a ground staff who took the suitcases to the privately owned aircraft at 7:23 A.M. which left the Territory. The Crown contends that possibly $2M were in the suitcases.
Meanwhile, defence attorney, Patricia Archibald-Bowers said Sprauve admits that the offence was serious and accepts that he played a role in it. She cited the seriousness of the crime and his initial not guilty plea as aggravating factors but said the defendant had no priors and was a father of five and was also heavily involved in community service, especially at this time of year.
She further asked that Sprauve be handed a non-custodial sentence and argued that he had several dependants including an ailing father who required medical treatment that he was assisting with financially.
Senior Crown Counsel Valston Graham noted that this was one case where the mitigating factors outweighed the aggravating factors.
Sprauve will return to court on December 13, 2013 for a continuation of the matter.
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30 Responses to “Tearful Luis Sprauve pleads guilty in airport suitcase fiasco”
you aint read the case from the start? It's the so called King Pin in Miami they arrest start the snitching. They say if you kill the head the body will die. In this case the head should have been decapitated long ago.
learn from, I still respect you and don't see you as no different person.
heads up breads up son son
Dont feel no way keep your head up and dont worry bout judge and jurry hope them could face their judgement some day when it comes food for taught , alot make them sending people prison and sh1t when them done they lookin over them shoulder if a pin drop them ready to run let your concience be your guide .
where,s the nobility of that cat crying no tears when he was making money and calling people br*ke