The six men who were reportedly found with a quantity of firearms and ammunition while traveling in a reportedly stolen vehicle moments after allegedly attempting a robbery on Tuesday last were today arraigned at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.
Appearing before Magistrate Sunil Scarce were Mark Prince, 39, a taxi driver of Parfaite Harmonie, WBD, Nabadingi Gobin, 24, of Georgetown, Leonard Khan, 31, a fish vendor of Albouystown, Georgetown, Edward Skeete,30, from Albouystown, Marvin Blackman, 27, a fish vendor of South Ruimveldt and Steve Hercules.
Only Hercules was charged with fraudulent conversion of a vehicle’s identification mark.
It was alleged that on April 10, 2018, at Grove, East Bank Demerara, he changed the identification plates of a grey Premio motorcar registered as PVV 6204 to HC 4543.
To this, Hercules pleaded not guilty.
In an indictable charge that followed, all of the men, except for Hercules, were charged with conspiracy.
In this case, on the same date and place, it was alleged that the five men conspired with Hercules to change the identification mark of the vehicle originally licenced as PVV 6204.
They all plead not guilty.
The police had detailed that the motorcar, with licence plate HC 4543, was stolen from a Princes Street, Georgetown resident on March 25, 2018.
In the following charges, it was alleged that the six, at Grove, East Bank Demerara, had in their possession six live .32 ammunition, eleven 9mm ammunition, two 9mm black pistols, and a .32 black Taurus pistol, while all being unlicenced for same.
Five of the men plead not guilty while the sixth, Hercules pleaded guilty.
Another indictable charge was made out against them alleging that they had attempted to commit a felony on the same day mentioned.
However, the complainant was not present in court and as such, the matter was not heard.
Before receiving his sentence, Hercules sought to provide an explanation to the court.
He stated that he would occasionally engage in providing taxi services to a few people. As such, a customer of his, offered him $50,000 to transport the said vehicle he was travelling in on April 10, 2018, to Georgetown from Soesdyke.
Hercules said that he had been informed of what was inside of the vehicle before hand and still agreed to make the delivery.
He explained that he also stopped along the way and picked up the five other men, as a “cover” if he was pulled over by police.
“While I was coming down I decided to pick up couple passengers to cover me while I was coming down from there,” he told the court.
Hercules’ sentencing was postponed to later this afternoon.
Magistrate Sunil Scarce told the court that the Prosecution had applied for the case to be tried at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. This application, he said has been granted.
Bail was rejected on the grounds that the men were known characters who had pending matters in the courts.
As such, the five other men were remanded to prison until May 10, 2018 for disclosures in the summary matter and statements for the indictable mater.
Swift action by Police ranks of the A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) saw the alleged bandits being nabbed after they attempted to rob the Supply, East Bank Demerara (EBD) poultry farmer, Michael Chang Yuen.
As they reportedly entered the man’s yard, an alarm was raised, which prompted the men to quickly enter a waiting motorcar, HC 4543, which was parked some distance away, and flee the scene.
However, the Police were alerted, and a roadblock was set up in the vicinity of the Grove Public Road, which saw the four men, along with two others in the said car, being captured.
A search carried out on the motorcar unearthed, in addition to the weapons and ammunition mentioned above, one sledgehammer, two pairs of latex gloves and traded plates. (Ramona Luthi)
