Two Venezuelan nationals have been slapped with a fine of EC$25,000.00 to be paid forthwith or in default, face 12 months in jail.
The fine was imposed by Magistrate Asquith Riviere when the accused appeared in court on January 31, 2019. They were jointly charged with Lester Edmund but the charge against Edmund was withdrawn after the Venezuelans pleaded guilty.
According to the police, the men, Yomar Dario Perez Rangel an d Yocsy Jose Fernandez, were arrested in St. Joseph on January 23, 2019 after entering the country illegally and a quantity of 28,000 grams of cocaine was found in their possession.
They were represented by attorneys Wayne Norde, Gina Abraham and Kondwani Williams. They also plead guilty to illegal entry into Dominica and were fined $EC$1,000.00 each and in default, two months jail.
In his mitigating plea, Williams told the court that his clients were “remorseful” for their actions and given the situation now facing Venezuela, were forced into trying to make a living to feed their family.
“It is tight and rough in Venezuela right now. They know what they did was and is wrong but they were just trying something to feed their families,” Williams told the court.
He asked the court to “temper justice with mercy” and consider the plight of his clients and not impose a harsh sentence.
“They have pleaded guilty on the first occasion. They have fully cooperated with the police. We ask that you think of them and their families and the situation that they are now facing in Venezuela,” Williams stated.
However, Magistrate Riviere said that cocaine “was a dangerous drug which was causing havoc around the world and the court had to send a strong message to those thinking of wanting to get involved.”
The men were also charged with importation of the drug but pleaded not guilty and the matter has been adjourned to June 2019.
So we charge those illegal drug dealers from Venezuela us $8,000 for 28 kilos of coke ..that’s $285 per kilo I should become a drug dealer in dominica man! !
so we FINE those ILLEGAL Venezuelan’s ..us $8,000 dollars for 28 kilo of coke thats $285 per kilo
I should turn a drug dealer in Dominica man
Here is the irony, to feed their family but to kill ours. We can’t hang them, but we could quadruple the street value fines. And for jail time the taxpayers should not have to support them, let’s have a chain gang.
That lawyer is something else boy
I always question the justice system in Dominica!!!!!
Those fellas must be smiling boy!!! Dominica’s criminal justice system needs an overhaul.!!!
This is OUTRAGEOUS!
Parents, teachers, clergy and every Dominican who cares about the children of this country should get their heads out of the sand.
Drug dealers are wealthy businessmen. 28kg is nothing compared to the amount that is being distributed around the island or could be on its way to other countries like the US.
Was there an investigation into their property and assets? All should have been seized as they could have been from proceeds of previous drug deals.
Our inept political and justice systems here leaves one to insinuate that they may all be involved. Yes I’m talking about public officials, judges, lawyers, police. Unlike marijuana and alcohol, cocaine use is undetectable to the naked eye. Ask them if they would agree to a random blood and urine test.
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
— Nelson Mandela
That a low charge for cocaine which is very dangerous. The charge should be more so others will learn a lesson to think twice dealing with this poison.
But wasn’t that the original plan for the Coffee plant in Portsmouth? Gason these guys making me laugh you know
Dominica does not grow Coca plant or manufacture cocaine, coke or crack, but our young men are being turned into parros and mentally insane due to these drugs. The majority of this drug and guns coming into Dominica are from Venezuela! It came in with Petrocaribe and their illegal passengers and cargoes that simply turn up in Dominica on their boats! Because we need their oil, gas, housing, and money charity we must also take the pain and evil that comes with it! “…entering the country illegally and a quantity of 28,000 grams of cocaine was found in their possession…” yet they get off lightly! Tell a Dominican to try this in one of our neighbouring islands and see how much prison they will take! But the Dominicans cannot talk about these issues because if you do not support all the foolishness that the Government is allowing in Dominica, you are branded a traitor! Have we all gone mad with this Labour Party Government?!
I honestly am not bothered about the fines or anything else. All i want to know why did DNO post a picture of the accused? Is it because they are non-nationals? Many times i have read related articles, and even some that have been accused of murder, but none of the people faces are shown. You people are so unfair!!
I am a Dominican, but I haven’t seen any photos of a Dominican accused of drug trafficking.
ADMIN: Your statement is not factual. These individuals are not just accused but were convicted. When available we do publish the photo of convicted individuals. An exception would be in the case of sexual offences and even then it is in an effort to protect the victim.
They should think of there family before they destroy our children they should charge them and jail them to
well tell your kids dont use it!
FREE FREE FREE 🔓
That is low fine for the amount of cocaine. That is approximately 6lbs of cocaine. They would have made a lot of money if they were not caught. If the magistrate wanted to send a message, he should have fined them $100K each.
More like 28 kilo’s, or over 60 lbs. This is big business. The amount they were fined is miniscule. I wonderwho willpay it for them.
1 kilogram is equal to 2.202lbs. Hence, 28×2.202.
“They also plead guilty to illegal entry into Dominica and were fined $EC$1,000.00 each and in default, two months jail.”
Interesting that for illegal entry these guys are fined and will serve prison time if the said fine is not paid. Yet, when Trump says he will do the same to those who enter his country (USA) illegally we join the democrats and call him racist. While we all know he has shown racist tendencies, fining and jailing those who enter one’s country illegally does not constitute racism. If we insist that it is racism, then our laws are racist and it needs to be withdrawn and allow free entry by all and sundry anywhere they choose. By the way the fine given for possession of such a large amount of drugs is a big joke.
28kg of cocain and they get a fine of $25,000. This is an absolute joke because 25 kg is a lot. Venezuelans and Chinese have a virtual card Blanche in Skerrits Dominica. It’s disgusting and sometimes I’m ashamed to be the holder of a a Dominican passport.
a joke that dere man 28,000 grams and only $25,000 you people charging them SMH!!
DOMINICA!!!
Where they going to take money to pay these changes? Maduro caused these people to so broke and, gave Dominica more than $270 million dollars. So Skerrit should either pay for the charges or set them free
wat is the street value of the drugs?
In the u.s. min. U.S.$. 750,000
Pleaded guilty for illegal entry into Dominica, but pleaded not guilty for importation of the drugs? I think it’s insulting to our justice system for their Attorney to use the situation in Venezuela to justify their criminal activities.
$25,000 for possession of 28 kilograms of cocaine? This is an incentive for people to route cocaine through Dominica. What is $25,000 worth to a major drug dealer?
These guys should be lookingvatca minimum of $1 million.
Comeon Kondwani. Give us another cry story. Is their family back in Venezuela they were helping because times hard there. Is years them Venezuelans been involved in that wicked businesswith the help of some partners here. Is only money that count for them. Asquith right not to fall for that weepy story man. Who pay their lawyer fees for them Kondwani?