District constable faces court on sexual offence charges

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 | 4:07 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DDP) on Wednesday ruled that a district constable be arrested and charged with breaches of the Sexual Offences Act.

He is 24-year-old Phillip Thomas who was assigned to the Morant Bay Police Station.

Thomas appeared before the Morant Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court Wednesday, where he was granted bail and ordered to surrender his travel documents and a stop order issued.

His next appearance in court will be March 11.

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District constable faces court on sexual offence charges

Prosecutors file rape charges against Colts linebacker

Josh McNary of the Indianapolis Colts NFL football team. (AP)

Indianapolis prosecutors have filed rape, criminal confinement with bodily injury and battery resulting in bodily injury charges against Indianapolis Colts linebacker Josh McNary.

Two Indianapolis police officers said a 29-year-old woman accused an unknown man of attacking her in the early morning hours of Dec. 1. That man later determined to be McNary.

According to the report, police determined the man was McNary after investigating a cellphone the woman claimed she took from the man’s apartment.

The woman also picked McNary’s image out of a group of photos.

Police wrote that McNary was expecting them when they arrived at his apartment to investigate.

McNary has been with the Colts for two seasons after finishing his college career as Army’s career leader in sacks and tackles for loss. McNary spent two years on active military duty to fulfill his commitment before signing with Indy in 2013. He had 20 tackles during the regular season and no tackles in the playoffs, and still serves in the National Guard as part of his military obligations.

Indianapolis (13-5) faces New England (13-4) on Sunday in the AFC championship game.

A message was left at the office for an attorney the report listed as McNary’s legal counsel.

The Colts issued a statement saying they’re aware of the allegations.

“Unfortunately that’s the limit of our knowledge,” the team said. “At this time we are very concerned and trying to find out what the relevant facts are, but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion. As we learn more we will make appropriate updates.”

The woman claimed the two engaged in a “physical fight” and that she scratched his back, neck, face and shoulder before the sexual assault took place. The woman believes McNary slapped her in the face before forcing himself on her.

Police reported that a nurse found dried blood behind the woman’s ear and other injuries following a sexual assault examination.

A friend of the accuser also played a 2-minute voicemail from the woman for police.

“At one point, the female can be heard crying and becoming emotionally distraught,” the report said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Prosecutors file rape charges against Colts linebacker

Businessman freed on gun-related charges

Wednesday, December 17, 2014 | 5:19 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Former National Works Agency (NWA) Director of Regional Special Projects, George Knight, and his co-accused Clava Mantock Jr, were today (Wednesday, December 17) freed of gun-related charges in the Gun Court, downtown Kingston.

Knight was charged in July by the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, (MOCA) with aiding and abetting illegal possession of ammunition.

Knight’s attorney, Peter Champagnie Wednesday noted that prosecutors indicated that they would not be proceeding in respect of that charge.

Knight is also facing multiple fraud charges.

Prosecutors are alleging that Knight’s company, Cenitech Engineering Solutions, submitted a number of forged documents to authorities to be registered as an approved contractor.

Champagnie said that his client is maintaining his innocence in respect of all of the accusations.

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Businessman freed on gun-related charges

Bobby Shmurda Pleads Not Guilty To Gun, Drug Charges

NEW YORK (AP) — An up-and-coming rapper pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he moonlighted as a gun-toting member of a New York City street gang responsible for several shootings during turf wars over drug trafficking.

Ackquille Pollard, who performs under the name Bobby Shmurda, was ordered held on $2 million bail at a hearing in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. His attorney, Howard Greenberg, failed to convince a judge that his client should be released without bail because he was framed and had no reason to run.

“He is a legitimate entertainer,” Greenberg said. “He is rich. He is busy. He is always on tour.”

The Brooklyn-born Pollard is best known for the hit song “Hot Boy.” He also put out a music video that popularized a dance craze called the “Shmoney dance,” and reportedly signed a lucrative record deal with Epic Records.

Greenberg claimed Epic had agreed to help Pollard make bail. A spokesman for the label declined to comment.

Police arrested Pollard on conspiracy, reckless endangerment and gun possession on Wednesday after he left a recording studio near Radio City Music Hall. Police found two handguns and a small amount of crack cocaine in a car in which he was riding, authorities said.

An indictment naming Pollard charges more than 15 defendants with a variety of crimes including murder, attempted murder, assault and drug dealing. The gang’s gun play left one rival dead, injured an innocent bystander sitting on folding chair outside a Brooklyn home and caused pandemonium outside a nightclub in Miami Beach, Florida, authorities said.

Police seized 21 guns during the investigation, 10 of them while making arrests on Wednesday.

The case carries some “deeply disturbing themes: The gang members’ enthrallment with guns, and a cavalier disregard for human life,” Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said at a news conference.

The hip-hop artist’s songs and videos were “almost like a real-life document of what they were doing on the street,” added James Essig, head of a New York Police Department unit that made the arrests.

The court papers allege that Pollard fired a gun toward a crowd of people outside a barbershop in Brooklyn earlier this year. They also say he was present last year during a confrontation between rival drug gangs outside a Brooklyn courthouse where shots were fired.

The evidence includes several recorded phone conversations, including some between Pollard and gang members serving time on Rikers Island, the indictment says. The gang used code words, referring to firearms as “tone,” ”socks” or “CDs,” narcotics as “crills,” and shootings as “sun tans,” it says.

During a conversation on April 28, Pollard bragged, “I am two socks Bobby right now,” the indictment says. Another defendant commented, “Bobby out here with two CDs on him like in the wild wild west or something.”

A “Hot Boy” video posted on YouTube in August has been viewed tens of millions of times, and Pollard performed the song for a national television audience this month on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

“My music is straight facts,” Pollard recently told New York Magazine. “There are a lot of gangsters in my ‘hood.”

Pollard’s criminal history included two arrests for gun and drug possession, authorities said. If convicted of conspiracy, he faces a maximum sentence of 8 to 25 years in prison.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Posted in: Breaking News, Gossip, Hip Hop. Tags: Bobby Shmurda Pleads Not Guilty To Gun, Drug Charges.

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Bobby Shmurda Pleads Not Guilty To Gun, Drug Charges

Caribbean Airlines introduces charges for second checked-in bag

Monday, December 15, 2014 | 8:51 AM    

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) says it will now charge passengers for a second checked-in bag despite the “growing industry trend of airlines moving to charge passengers for all checked bags”.

In a statement posted on its website, the airline said that while the first checked bag continues to be free, it will cost passengers US$25 for a second bag, plus applicable taxes.

“Caribbean Airlines has resisted moving to this policy, but in light of most of its competitors charging passengers for all their checked bags, it is left with no choice but to match industry practice to remain competitive.”

It said that while its competitors continue to showcase low fares, “they conveniently fail to mention that bag fees – some in excess of US$100 – are charged to customers.

“Caribbean Airlines assures its passengers that our fee of US$25 for the second bag is the lowest in the industry,” the airline said, outlining the schedule of payment for flights to Europe, and the Caribbean.

It said that the new policy will be implemented in two phases.

Phase one takes effect on tickets purchased on or after December 18, 2014 for travel from January 15, 2015, on all flights between the Caribbean and Toronto. Phase two takes effect on tickets purchased on or after February 1, 2015 for travel from April 15, 2015, on all flights throughout the rest of the network.

“As the airline industry becomes increasingly competitive, at Caribbean we see no need to be tough on our customers and continue to exude warmth in every customer interaction.

“While Caribbean Airlines is following industry practice on the introduction of bag fees, only last month it led the way by passing on the savings of lower oil prices and eliminated the fuel surcharge on 98 per cent of its routes,” the cash-strapped airline added.

Earlier this year, Finance Minister Larry Howai said that CAL would suffer a loss of just under TT$100 million (One TT dollar = US 0.16 cents) for its financial year 2013.

Howai said that the airline had been enduring a difficult period but may now be emerging from it.

“CAL has had some struggles getting its accounts done, they should be able to bring them up in a couple of months. It hasn’t been very good news but they have narrowed the loss down,” he said.

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Caribbean Airlines introduces charges for second checked-in bag

Man facing charges goes scot-free

Lantia Cuff , Star Writer

A St Elizabeth man had fortune on his side when he had his case thrown out for want of prosecution when he appeared in the Santa Cruz Resident Magistrate Court on the charge of unlawful possession of property on Tuesday.

On August 30, a public passenger vehicle was stopped and searched in Lacovia and three goat carcasses discovered. Rodian Foster, who was travelling in the vehicle, declared ownership for the meat.

Further enquiries were made by the police and Foster was subsequently charged after changing his story several times. The case was, however, thrown out after the police officer who made the discovery failed to submit his statement.

Two bench warrants were ordered for the officer who failed to report to the court for the matter, as well as another case he has before the courts.

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Man facing charges goes scot-free

Suspect accused of abducting UVA student back in Va. to face charges

Sept. 25, 2014: Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. is escorted into a courtroom for an appearance before 405th District Court Judge Michelle Slaughter regarding his extradition back to Virginia in Galveston, Texas. (AP)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. –  The man charged with abducting a missing University of Virginia student is back in Charlottesville after being arrested in Texas.

Capt. Aaron Carver of the Albermarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail confirmed Friday evening that the suspect is in custody there.

Authorities have charged 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. with abduction with intent to defile Hannah Graham, an 18-year-old sophomore from northern Virginia who has been missing since Sept. 13.

Matthew was arrested on a beach near Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday. He did not fight extradition to Virginia, where he could make an initial court appearance late next week.

Police say they still have no idea about Graham’s whereabouts. They have said Matthew was the last person seen with her.

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Suspect accused of abducting UVA student back in Va. to face charges

Cop charged in connection to larceny faces additional charges

Additional charges have been laid against a police corporal of the Protective Services Division in connection to the theft of a motor vehicle, according to a press release from the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency.

Corporal Stafford Barrett, who had been on bail for the offences of simple larceny and receiving stolen property, was yesterday charged with fraudulent conversion and fraudulent use of registration plates.

Barrett was initially charged for simple larceny and receiving stolen property on May 23, 2014 by detectives from the then Anti-Corruption Branch. He was taken into custody following the recovery of a stolen Toyota Corolla motor car at his home in Spanish Town, St Catherine. The motor car was reported stolen in Hopewell, Hanover, on May 9.

He appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court on May 27, where he was granted bail in the sum of $800, 0000.

Barrett is scheduled to appear in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, October 28, to answer to all charges.

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Cop charged in connection to larceny faces additional charges

Man pleads guilty to criminal charges

A man, who sells condoms for a living, was sentenced to three months in prison when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Pleading guilty to criminal trespassing and resisting arrest is 35-year-old Rohan Davy of a Kingston 20 address.

According to reports, on September 19 around 2 a.m., Davy was caught trespassing on the premises of a doctor’s office located on Ripon Road, Kingston 5. He was accosted by the police, but managed to wriggle his body away from an officer and ran.

The accused was held shortly after on Oxford Road in the area.

Davy told the court that he was in the Ripon Road area because he sells condoms to sex workers. He also admitted to Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey that he has appeared before the court for a similar offence earlier this year.

“I explained to the other judge that I was tired and I drop asleep over there and she tell me be careful and fined me five grand,” he said.

“Well, I’m going to send you to prison for it. I know what you were doing over there and you know that I know what you were doing over there,” RM Pusey stated.

After RM Pusey handed down the sentencing, Davy pleaded, “I can’t just pay a fine Your Honour?”

He was sentenced to three months in prison for the criminal trespassing and 10 days in prison for resisting arrest, the sentences are to run consecutively.

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Man pleads guilty to criminal charges

Former NWA director among five nabbed on fraud charges

Former Director of  Special Projects at the National Works Agency (NWA) George Knight, is among five men charged by the Major Organised and Anti-Corruption Task Force, MOCA, with fraud.

Mr Knight, the CEO and President of  Cenitech Limited, and founder of the company, 62 year old Clava Mantock Snr, have been charged with forgery, uttering forged documents and conspiracy to deceive.

The others who were charged last night are Mr Mantock’s son, 32 year old Analyst Clava Mantock Jnr; 40 year old Melville Edwards, a Director of  Cenitech and 48 year old Police Inspector, Andrew Bobb, sub-officer in charge of  the Manchioneal Police Station.

The men were arrested on Friday during operations conducted by MOCA and the Anti-Corruption Branch, ACB. The cops raided several locations including the offices of  Cenitech off Eastwood Park Road. MOCA said the arrests stemmed from a two-year investigation which also involved the Financial Investigation Division. 

The police have not disclosed the nature of  the allegations against the men, but it’s understood that the cops are investigating major fraud involving government contracts.        

The five are booked to appear before the Half-Way-Tree Criminal Court tomorrow.  

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Former NWA director among five nabbed on fraud charges

Farmers freed of ganja charges

Barbara Gayle, Star Writer

Two St Elizabeth farmers have been freed of possession of 26 pounds of ganja following a no-case submission by attorney-at-law, Dwight Reece.

They are 40-year-old Delroy Crawford and 25-year-old Gawayne Swaby of Jointwood District in St Elizabeth.

The Crown led evidence that on May 6, 2013, the police went to an address on Windward Road in Kingston 2, where they executed a search warrant. According to the police,the men were seen putting a tarpaulin with the ganja on the roof a chicken coop in the yard.

However when one of the policemen was being cross examined by Reece, it was pointed out that a statement claimed the farmers were found tying the ganja in tarpaulin on the ground. Reece noted that an endorsement also stated that the ganja was found behind a coop.

According to the attorney, given the three versions of how the ganja was found, the court could not be convinced the men were in possession of the drug.

The submission was upheld by Resident Magistrate Maxine Ellis in the Corporate Area RM court yesterday.

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Farmers freed of ganja charges

Man freed of gun charges

Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

A man who was charged with firing a gun at a man in November last year was freed yesterday in the Gun Court, after the complainant failed to convince the judge that it was the accused whom he saw with the gun on the day in question.

Freed of charges of illegal possession of firearm and assault at common-law is Wayne Nelson of Mount Horeb, St Andrew.

During the trial, the complainant could not adequately identify the person with whom he struggled on the day in question, as he admitted the man’s head was down during the tussle

The accused who was represented by attorney-at-law Vincent Wellessley was then freed by the court, after it was revealed that the complainant’s evidence failed to convince the trial judge that Nelson was the person who attacked him the day of the incident.

Allegations are that on January 9, 2013, the complainant was walking along the Mount Horeb main road in St Andrew.

He reportedly heard an explosion and then saw Nelson coming from bushes nearby with what appears to be a gun in his hand.

When he got closer he realised it was a gun the accused had and that he squeezed the trigger repeatedly but it did not fire

He said that a struggle started between them for the gun and then another man was observed coming towards him with a knife

The complainant reportedly ran away from the scene and reported the matter and following an investigation, Nelson was subsequently charged on November 15. He remained until he was freed.

Presiding judge was Justice Courtney Day.

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Man freed of gun charges

Correctional officer freed of drug charges

Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

A correctional officer was freed of drug charges in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, following a successful application by his lawyer.

Charged with breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act is Michael Stewart, 49, acting staff officer at the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre.

When the matter came up in the Spanish Town RM Court, defence attorney, Courtney Maxwell, submitted to the court that Stewart did not have a case to answer.

“Your Honour, there is nothing to prove that my client knew there was drug inside of the container which was later retrieved from a cell at the prison,” Maxwell said.

He said that his client was not guilty of any wrong and should be allowed to go back to work.

Resident Magistrate Anmarie Nembhard then ordered that Stewart be freed. However, two prisoners, Devon Watkins and Bryan Lettman, who were also charged in connection with the same incident, were remanded until August 29.

Allegations are that on February 17, 2014, Stewart was on duty at the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, when he allegedly placed a container under a piece of concrete. Surveillance camera reportedly saw Lettman picked up the container and took it to his cell.

A search was conducted some 10 minutes later at the cells and ganja weighing more than two pounds were found. Both Lettman and Watkins were charged with possession of ganja .

Investigations later led to the arrest and charge of Stewart with possession of ganja, dealing in ganja and trafficking ganja.

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Correctional officer freed of drug charges

DPP expected to drop bribery charges against Tankweld boss

Prosecutors are expected to confirm today that the bribery charge against Tankweld boss David Bruce Bicknell have been dropped. The case is set for mention in the Half  Way Tree Criminal Court.

As was first reported by our news centre lawyers for Mr. Bicknell, who is charged under the Corruption Prevention Act, wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions requesting that she discontinue the case. The request was made in light of  testimony by Sergeant Jubert Llewellyn during the court hearing. The DPP confirmed that she responded to the letter.

The charge against Mr. Bicknell stemmed from a traffic stop in April 2012. The Tankweld boss was accused of  trying to bribe Sergeant Llewellyn after he was caught speeding along the Sir Florizel Glasspole main road.

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DPP expected to drop bribery charges against Tankweld boss

DPP expected to drop bribery charges against Bicknell

Prosecutors are expected to confirm today that the bribery charge against businessman David Bruce Bicknell have been dropped. The case is set for mention in the Half  Way Tree Criminal Court.

As was first reported by RJR News, lawyers for Mr. Bicknell, who is charged under the Corruption Prevention Act, wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions requesting that she discontinue the case. The request was made in light of  testimony by Sergeant Jubert Llewellyn during the court hearing. The DPP confirmed that she responded to the letter.

The charge against Mr. Bicknell stemmed from a traffic stop in April 2012. He was accused of  trying to bribe Sergeant Llewellyn after he was caught speeding along the Sir Florizel Glasspole main road.

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DPP expected to drop bribery charges against Bicknell

Former head of Women's Bureau granted leave to challenge charges

Former Executive Director of  the Bureau of  Women’s Affairs, Faith Webster, has been granted leave by the Supreme Court, to challenge the decision of  the Public Service Commission (PSC) to bring charges against her.
Justice Bryan Sykes granted leave on Friday following an application by Webster’s attorney, Douglas Leys.
Webster was interdicted three weeks ago by the PSC, following an internal audit which accused her of  failing to perform her duties.
The Office of  the Prime Minister (OPM) recommended that disciplinary action be laid against her following the internal audit.
Thirteen charges have been laid against her by the Commission.She has now applied to the Supreme Court to quash the charges.

Sykes also granted her a stay, blocking the PSC from taking any further disciplinary action against her, until the challenge is heard by the Full Court.

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Former head of Women"s Bureau granted leave to challenge charges

Complainant drops charges

A man is lucky today to have been set free after a complainant in the matter against him begged the judge not to go any further with the case on Friday, in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.

The accused, Adive King, was charged with larceny after a quantity of ground provisions and a scale belonging to the complainant went missing. King pleaded guilty with explanation.

He told the court that a friend gave him the items to sell downtown.

King said, “Your Honour, is a friend give me it to sell, some tomato, peas and dem ting deh and him come a town and see me and him get dem back.”

The complainant told the court that he got back his scale and some of the seasoning.

The Senior Resident Magistrate then asked the complainant, “What you want me to do with him?”

“Give him a chance,” the complainant said in a soft tone.

King was subsequently admonished and discharged as no evidence was offered.

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Complainant drops charges

Stock Exchange charges increased

It’s now costing more to conduct transactions on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE). Effective Tuesday, the cess on transactions was increased by 0.1% or 0.05%,  to be paid by the buyer and seller.   
According to Marlene Street-Forrest, General Manager of  the Stock Exchange, the increase was triggered by rising operational expenses, occasioned particularly by the slide in the value of the Jamaican dollar.

“Our services… our core platform is linked to the US dollar in terms of service fees,”, she explained, adding that as a result of that there was no option but to increase the charges “by this mimimal amount.”

The cess is a part of  the revenue base of  the Exchange.

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Stock Exchange charges increased

Stock Exchange charges increased

It’s now costing more to conduct transactions on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE). Effective Tuesday, the cess on transactions was increased by 0.1% or 0.05%,  to be paid by the buyer and seller.   
According to Marlene Street-Forrest, General Manager of  the Stock Exchange, the increase was triggered by rising operational expenses, occasioned particularly by the slide in the value of the Jamaican dollar.

“Our services… our core platform is linked to the US dollar in terms of service fees,”, she explained, adding that as a result of that there was no option but to increase the charges “by this mimimal amount.”

The cess is a part of  the revenue base of  the Exchange.

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Stock Exchange charges increased

Andes survivor was "fleeing charges"

10 September 2013 Last updated at 03:25 ET Mr Gomez Cincunegui was found by Argentine officials and taken to hospital in San Juan

A Uruguayan man rescued from a mountain shelter in the Andes after going missing while trying to cross from Chile to Argentina is facing child sex abuse charges in Chile, officials say.

Raul Gomez Cincunegui, 58, was found emaciated in a remote mountain shelter by Argentine officials on Sunday.

He had survived for four months by eating leftover supplies and whatever else he could catch, including rats.

A prosecutor has asked for his extradition to Chile.

Mr Gomez was on trial in Chile for allegedly abusing an eight-year-old boy and had been ordered not to leave the country.

On Sunday, Argentine officials from the north-western province of San Juan stumbled across him after arriving in the area near the shelter by helicopter to record snow levels.

‘Miracle survival’

An enfeebled Mr Gomez was able to open the shelter’s door and alert the crew to his presence.

He was taken to hospital in an emaciated and dehydrated state, but doctors said he was expected to make a full recovery. He is reported to have lost 20kg (44lb) during his four months in the shelter.

Mr Gomez told his rescuers he got lost in snowstorms after his motorbike broke down.

He had no previous mountaineering experience and did not give an explanation as to why he wanted to cross the Andes.

His rescue was described as “a miracle” by San Juan Governor Jose Luis Gioja.

Officials in Chile said an arrest warrant for Mr Gomez was issued in July after he missed a court appearance.

Mr Gomez’s mother told the Associated Press news agency she did not believe the allegations against him.

“Raul is a good, hard-working man,” she said.

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Andes survivor was "fleeing charges"