Grand Bay man pays heavy price for ganja, possession of ammunition

Levi Gregoire is to pay fines amounting to $12,750, due by March 31, 2012 or face more than a year in prison, after pleading guilty to two drug and three firearms charges before Magistrate Evalina Baptiste yesterday.

The-32-year old Gregoire was charged jointly with his common-law wife, 28-year-old Derissa Lavenier, both of Grandbay.

Police reported that during a search of the defendants’ home in Grand Bay on the morning of August 12, 368 grams of cannabis  along with a .38 spent shell, one round of .25 ammunition and one round of .357 ammunition were found.

The police said Gregoire stated that he had found the ammunition while cleaning the Bubbles Disco and had taken them home.

The two were charged with possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and one charge of possession of illegal ammunition for each kind. Lavenier pleaded not guilty and Gregoire pleaded guilty to all charges. Lavenier’s charges were subsequently dismissed since the prosecution did not present a case against her.

Wayne Norde, speaking on behalf of his client, asked the court to consider that this was his client’s first possession, he had not wasted the court’s time, admitted to the possession of the ganja and explained how he had happened upon the ammunition and he inadvertently taken them home.

Magistrate Baptiste disagreed stating, “There was nothing inadvertent about it.” She said that she was bound by the law to consider that this was Gregoire’s first offense and that he had pleaded guilty, but was also concerned by the fact that such offences had become prevalent.

The magistrate sentenced Gregoire to fines thus:
1.    On the charge of possession of cannabis, a fine of $1,750 to be paid by February 28, 2012 or five months imprisonment.
2.    On the charge of possession of cannabis with intent to supply, a fine of $4,000 to be paid by February 28, 2012 or six months imprisonment to run concurrently with the other charge of possession of cannabis.
3.    On the charge of possession of .25 ammunition, a fine of $4,500 to be paid by February 28, 2012 or nine months imprisonment.
4.    On the charge of possession of .357 ammunition, a fine of $2,500 to be paid by February 28, 2012 or six months imprisonment to run concurrently with the other charge of possession of ammunition.
5.    On the charge of possession of .38 ammunition, no separate sentence.

In response to Norde’s plea for an extension in the time allotted to pay the fines, Magistrate Baptiste revised the due date to March 31, 2012.

Gregoire was also subsequently charged along with Aaron Gregoire and Louis Gregoire, also of Grand Bay and Suzelle Gama of Guadeloupe and released on bail of $32,000. They were all charged with possession of illegal firearms including an AK-47.

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36 Comments

  1. December 20, 2011

    VIP….HONESTLY PEOPLE LIKE YOU SHOULD BE ABORTED BE CAUSE YOU ARE A WASTE OF SPACE …
    IN OTHER WORDS YOU ARE TELLING PEOPLE THAT HAVING A GUN IN YOUR POSSESSION YOU ARE A TERRORIST AND KILLING PEOPLE YOU ARE A SAINT…NEXT TIME DO NOT SHARE YOUR STUPID IDIOT COMMENTS ,READ AND MOVE ON… IDIOT.
    THE ONLY PLACE ON EARTH AMONG THE POPULATION YOU CAN FIND 0.1% OF CRIME IS IN NORTH KOREA BUT THE ONCE FAMOUS PRESIDENT KIM ,I WONDER WHETHER HIS SOUL WILL EVER GET SOME REST AND PEACE AS A BELATED DESPOT … BUT HE HAD THE RIGHT TO KILL AND GIVE ORDERS TO KILL WHO EVER IS AGAINST HIS RULES.
    VIP YOU’RE AN IDIOT.

  2. Eliyah
    November 22, 2011

    Its choices…If it is against the law and you choose to do it…and the law catches you, the law will punish you…Lets choose wisely. This is not a Grandbay problem, it is a DOMINICA problem. We have some people that make bad choices just like people in every other part of the island. Collectively people of Sout City…are no better or no worse that our countrymen in the rest of Dominica. Not every one will agree and no one can make them agree neither can any of them make this statement untrue with their disagreement.

  3. dominican abroad
    September 2, 2011

    Now what the hell one is doing with na A.K. in D.A.? i remember useing a sling-shot which we made ourself, and the must lethal was a cutlass, it is just a matter of time before some idiot do something stupid and put dominica on the world stage i hope the government is taking notice.

  4. Anonymous
    August 20, 2011

    These guys are fools an AK47 and thay didn’t fire one shot. Thay had it just showing off

  5. truth
    August 18, 2011

    SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS LIES IN HIGH PLACES.CHECK THE MASTER BOOK FOR THE VERSE{THE BIBLE}THEY NEED TO CHECK THOSE POLICE MEN THAT TOOK THE LIE DETECTOR AND FAIL,AND THEY WERE DEMOTED.THOSE PEOPLE WHO SUPPOSED TO UPHOLD THE LAW ,THEY ARE THE ONES BREAKING IT.
    THE OWNERS OF THE A-K47 WILL SURVIVE WITH OR WITHOUT THE AK.
    WHEN GRAND -BAY DO ,IT MAKES HEAD LINE , WHEN OTHER VILLAGES DO.SECRET-SECRET.
    TO VIP-YOU WISH YOU WERE LIVING THE LIFE,GO GET A MAN OR WOMAN STOP HATING.
    GRAND-BAY FOR LIFE

  6. family
    August 17, 2011

    thats one thing i hate as long as is grandbay somthing happen every body have things to say.things like this happen in other places an u dont hear shit. they might have been wrong for having the guns an drugs but at the same time stop giving on grandbay people

    • patriotic
      August 18, 2011

      well just say it’s all you culture nah..like is first time u hearing that..

  7. prosicutor
    August 17, 2011

    We need the presentation from the prosecutor or the DPP to be more defining to convince the majistrate or judge about the seriousness of these offences. The DPP should classify these types of ammo and their ability to inflict harm in oder to educate the court thus more consistency in judgements.(Who is the attorney general and the director of public prosecution?)

  8. Laws should be
    August 17, 2011

    Dominica has the most stupid a$$ laws i have ever heard of. Other countries would charge you for every bullet, unlicensed firearm, illegal possession of firearms, illegal intent to distribute or sell, all that included and then some. Dominica need to re-evaluate their laws. A money charge and or more than a year in jail is the only song that keeps replaying. Thats a sore excuse for judgement and the law. Its the 21st century for Christ sake. TOUGHEN UP! STOP BEING BEHIND TIME!

    • walky
      August 17, 2011

      YOU A FOOL, THEY SHOULD ONLY CHARGE HIM FOR THE GUNS, N LEAVE THE GANJA OUT OF IT, STOP PUNISHING PPLE FOR A TREE, WICKED SYSTEM

    • patriotic
      August 18, 2011

      i couldnt agree with u more..man if the offenders knew for every bullet is a fine of 10,000 dollars or 4yrs,possession of fire arm 50 gran or 6yrs,it wud be safer here..but instead they steal the countries noney and dont worry about the little island to save..people go in the house n pass the stiff penalties..

    • James
      August 19, 2011

      Although I am from Grandbay, I am in agreement with you. The laws in dominica need to be revised and action needs to be taken against these people.

  9. stupes
    August 17, 2011

    This is the kind of threat that the police face every day for protecting dominicans and when these criminals / terrorist are caught they are given a weekend vacation by the Courts. This is serious people, why haven’t any one of you thank the police for getting this kind of weapon off the streets. You are quick to blame the polcie when they make a mistake but now that they have gotten this deadly weapon off the streets none of you say congrats to them. I am saying so now, CONGRATS TO THE POLICE, SHAME ON THE MAGISTRATE.

    • Anonymous
      August 3, 2014

      I guess that you haven’t seen the foreign militia training in DA walking publicly down the street with their M-16’s. I guarantee you that they are not here to protect Dominicans.
      Dominicans have no right to bear arms and I can certainly see why that is true for most of these people. However, there are others that are trained, responsible gun owners. The ban on guns leaves the population very vulnerable to foreign attack or even internal attack.

  10. hmmm
    August 16, 2011

    You people keep talking like is grand bay alone these things happen!! Grandbay isn’t the only village in dominica where you’d find a gun in a home.. You talking bout removing grand bay on the map hmmm well dominica wouldn’t be dominica with grand bay so watch your mouth remove yourself from the equation iight the biggest drug bosses are those with the biggest jobs and in high authority try removing them from the map.. Grand bay has a representative that doesn’t do shit for grand bay so I think they have to help them selvesss.. Looks like you want then to come beg you instead.. Grand Bay will always be Grand Bay.. Them guns is to form dere army against allu secret criminals!!

    • August 17, 2011

      YOU RIGHT!
      IS NOT IN GRAND BAY DAT HAVE GUNS ALONE.
      WE ALSO HAVE GUNS WHERE EVER GRANDBARIANS LIVE

      HAHA
      JUST KIDDING

  11. vip
    August 16, 2011

    it seems money talks and every other thing walks.AK47 is one of the deadliest assault rifles and these folks should be charges as terrorist. u can ambush anybody with a Ak47 and cause serious mayhem on them .THE QUESTION IS WHY WOULD GRANDBAY PEOPLE WANT AK47 AT THEIR HOMES? THIS PLACE IS THE SICKEST PLACE IN DOMINICA AND MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE MAP.Police should search every house in grandbay.THE LABOUR PART CAN DO WITHOUT GRANDBAY SUPPORT.

    • Anonymous
      August 16, 2011

      You are very ignorant. You telling me is only grand bay have AK?

    • West
      August 16, 2011

      Remove grand bay from the map other places does not have them to they should remove ur mother from the map instead

    • Neg lalay
      August 16, 2011

      That’s what u think without grandbay there would be no labour party.Put that in ur crack pipe for a while.

    • NG
      August 17, 2011

      It’s because of people like you everybody categorizing Grand Bay and everybody in Grand Bay as bad people. I can see that you are an idiot and you are not educated. Don’t judge an entire group of people by the actions of a few. Grand Bay has produced many good people and great servants of Dominica. There is crime everywhere in Dominica to include your community. Think twice before you make such stupid comments because I won’t stand ideally and listen to you bash my community. We are all Dominicans and we are all affected, but I will not wish anything bad on anybody.

    • thickerz
      August 17, 2011

      u should be removed from the map ur mother must be regretting the day she mad u a$$hol3.

    • Jalay
      August 17, 2011

      Grandbay kept Labour Party alive after Mike died but who cares, anyway I know for a fact Roseau, Newtown, Calibishie and Possie has these guns and worst but who selling them out no one. If Grandbay is off the map of Dominica we would have our own island an you all would need a visa to come to the best Island on the coast of Dominica.

    • Anonymous
      August 17, 2011

      shut your a** VIP who do you think you are. All these things happen in so many other villages but it just never comes to light. Stop pretending like is Grand Bay only that these things are happening. If Grand Bay should be taken off the map then the other villages to. I am not condoning what is going on in this village but its less than half the population dealing with these things. You cant punish everyone for the mad decisions of a selective group.

    • August 17, 2011

      ak47 AND FIG BROTH LOL

      • patriotic
        August 18, 2011

        you know what AK means…ass n kind..grandbay good n bad…a little humour..

  12. islandgyal
    August 16, 2011

    Can u say Gun Control???? REAL REAL TALK!!!!!!!!

  13. FORKIT
    August 16, 2011

    can someone or the people incharge of the legal procedures or even the AG to investigate that magistrate.
    miss baptist hands down judgement which is not consistant all the times she has served as a magistrate, 4500.00 for a .25 and 2500 for a 357magnum..
    a .25 cannot do an eight of the damage a 357 magnum will do, but i thought the new fire act reflect a maximum charge of 20,000.00.
    DNO, they did not mention that they found an AK47 at that same home. no bail should be handed down people found with for an AK47, SMG,M16 etc. these are high powered rifles used for war.
    these people are drug dealers who are given charges which are equivalent to their weekend spending money, yet you talk about stoping violence in dominica.
    mamsel fou, THESE ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE TRIED TO DISTROY T.BEHANZIN for the best magistrate we had in a long time

    • JUSTICE
      August 17, 2011

      JUST BACAUSE YOU HAVE TO SCRATCH UR HEAD AT HTE END OF THE MONTH AND SOME OF US DON’T – DON’T HATE US. MY BELLY FULL THATS WHY U JEALOUS THAT AK47 SHOULD BE USED TO CLEAN ALL OF UR KIND.

  14. naturalistic
    August 16, 2011

    so jus cuz its his first offence dey shud jus slap him on the risk..i am satisfied with the judge’s ruling..

    • TeteMorne I from..
      August 16, 2011

      It should be…slap him on the WRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!

  15. him
    August 16, 2011

    I am totally dissatisfied with the criminal justice system in this failed state called Dominica..I am afraid that law abiding citizens are not adequately protected,by those who possess illegal firearms… I really think that the charges for such possessions should be such that they will deter people…Unfortunately the are encouraging to those who would like to possess them…WHAT A COUNTRY..!!!

    • patriotic
      August 18, 2011

      i totally agree..we need a clean up of the laws,magistracy,law makers.. they sleeping at their home safe thats y they eh worry with who are vulnerable to danger..too many robberies

  16. thicknesss!
    August 16, 2011

    wat for them to look for they doesnt,, all d crimninals that in d streets,, and all those in high authority that in d drug business too,, shait,,!!!

  17. Chavez Jr.
    August 16, 2011

    Squeeze them, let them feel the hand of the law, hell they doing with an AK 47, seems as if they living in the Middle East.

    • JUSTICE
      August 17, 2011

      AND YOU LIVING IN COCAINE TOWN DAMN ASS

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