L-R Jomo Jack and James John; John pleaded guilty to three of the charges he was being faced with before the Magistrate's Court. Photo: VINO/File

Leon King (braids) and Gerry Freeman are also facing charges of money laundering and possession of cocaine. Photo: VINO/File

The five accused are James Telesford John, Jomo Jack, Leon King, Hugh Erickson and Gerry Freeman. King and Jack are represented by Ruthilia Maximea; John is represented by Stephen Daniels; Erickson is represented by Herbert McKenzie and Freeman is represented by Dale Hamilton, QC.

Sergeant Wendell Ballantyne of the Scenes of Crime Unit attached to the Road Town Police Station, said he was dispatched to the residence of James John at New Bush where he met with Inspector Nigel Nevin and a team of officers from the Special Investigative and Tactical Units.

Ballantyne said he carried out a search on the two-bedroom apartment and observed blocks of cocaine in several areas, including cardboard boxes and other containers in an occupied and an unoccupied room in the apartment.

The officer said he found 60 blocks of cocaine in two canvas bags, evenly separated between the two bags as well as a cardboard box with the canvas bag that contained a further 10 blocks of cocaine.

In a room, the officer said was allegedly occupied by John, there were cardboard boxes sealed with scotch tape with a number on it. The officer testified that several photos were taken during the search and an album was created and later tendered in court as evidence by the Prosecution.

According to the witness, additional blocks of cocaine were allegedly found in other areas of the home as well as a quantity of financial correspondence and a receipt for fuel from a marina in St Maarten for $508.30. There were also telephone receipts and a quantity of bank cards in addition to a black and a brown phone book with several numbers in the apartment.

Ballantyne told the court that there were three passports, one for St Vincent and the Grenadines, one for the British Virgin Islands and one for Grenada, all in the name of James John.

Officers also found a satellite phone and a Jeep Wrangler with telephone numbers parked in the yard of the apartment.

John pleaded guilty to several charges on a previous occasion after pleading not guilty to all charges in the initial stages. This resulted in a reshuffling of the charges faced by the men.

The trial continues today in court.

See previous story posted March 20, 2013:

Drug & money laundering accused James John pleads guilty 

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – James Telesford John pleaded guilty to three charges against him when he appeared today, March 20, 2013 before the Magistrate’s court.

John, a 62yr old Captain from Newbush, Tortola, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of proceeds of criminal conduct as well as the charge of unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply.

The accused is being tried jointly with four other men; Jomo Jack, Hugh Ericksson, Leon King and Gerry Freeman in relation to incidents that allegedly occurred on August 10, 2012.

The charges brought against them by the Crown are importation of cocaine 114 kg; possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct ($391,780); possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct ($178,060); possession of proceeds of criminal conduct ($81,585); and unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

In light of the plea, Principal Crown Counsel Tiffany Scatliffe explained that the Crown would be seeking an opportunity to revisit the other complaints against John and to review the other complaints in the matter for the other defendants.

Jomo Jack and Leon King, are jointly charged with possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct ($178,060), with Hugh Ericksson and Gerry Freeman also facing a joint charge of possession of proceeds of criminal conduct ($37,040.25).

The court understood that the joint charges were as a result of the money being found in two vehicles, occupied by each of the two defendants.

Three charges were also brought against all five men, which are assisting another to retain the benefit of criminal conduct, unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug to another.

All five men pleaded not guilty to the charges previously and the trial is expected to continue on June 3, 2013.