| USVI trio sentenced on arms, ammo charges |
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| Written by Gordon French | |
| Thursday, 30 October 2008 | |
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He along with four other men – brothers Zebedee Schulterbrant and John Schulterbrant, Clifton Johnson and Rashedee Lewis were arrested for the offences on Thursday, January 17 while holidaying in the Territory. “You say I’m guilty,” Johnson said when asked by the Magistrate if he wished to say anything. To which Magistrate Stephens advised him that he could take his case to the Court of Appeal. Johnson, 40, who will also serve his sentences concurrently, received four years each on three counts of carrying unlicensed firearms, six months each on four counts of unlawful possession of explosives and three years on one count for being in possession of cannabis with the intent to sell. Lewis, a 27-year-old driver, received four years for carrying an unlicensed firearm, six months for being in possession of explosives and three years for cannabis offence. His sentences too will run concurrently. However, John‘s sentencing was rescheduled for November 12. But his brother Zebedee was sentenced in February to two years six months and $500 for carrying an unlicensed firearm, carrying explosives and being in possession of cannabis. Shocking details One of the items recovered from the accused men’s possession were four ski masks, this bit of information was disclosed during Magistrate’s summation of the case. The men left the USVI and headed for Jost Van Dyke for a pleasure trip and wrote on the Immigration Form they will be staying from January 16 through 20. In her testimony, the Immigration Officer stated she saw the men on the 5 pm JVD Ferry heading to
The Court also heard from the Proprietor of a car rental service who said that Lewis and John rented two vehicles - RT 1606 and RT 1839 on January 17. Around 4:30 pm on January 17, the vehicle [RT 1606], in which the Schulterbrant brothers were travelling in, was stopped and searched by members of the Quick Response team along Blackburn Road. A number of items were confiscated, including cannabis. Acting on information, the brothers were taken to a hotel in Sea Cow’s Bay, and according to Court reports the brothers were taken to rooms four and six. In room six, while officers searched a chest of drawers a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun was found wrapped in a black tee-shirt. Both brothers denied ownership of the gun. A magazine containing 16 9mm rounds of ammunition was also found in the room. A search in room four unearthed seven 9mm rounds of ammo wrapped in a yellow towel. Additionally, a bag belonging to John contained among other things four dark coloured ski-masks. Later in the evening, in the vicinity of ‘The Pub’, the vehicle containing Pickering, Lewis and Johnson was stopped and searched. Officers found in a green and white bMobile bag - packages of cannabis and Lewis admitted it was “his weed”. Additionally, a handgun and holster were found under the driver’s seat, with 10 live rounds and one in the breech. Meanwhile, in the vehicle’s glove compartment another handgun was discovered with six rounds of ammunition. The trio denied ownership of the guns. In the trunk of the vehicle a dime bag containing cannabis was also found. Subsequently the five men were taken into Police custody. Additionally, in her summation the Magistrate noted that no evidence was given by the defendants, no witnesses were called on behalf of the defendants and neither any of the Prosecutor’s witnesses’ statements were challenged. And before handing down the sentences, Magistrate Stephens stated that there was sufficient evidence to infer that “these men knew of the existence of the firearms and ammunition found in both rooms.”
Relatives locked out Before the men made their Court appearance, everyone including members of the media were locked out. Through the locked gate of the Court armed members of the Quick Response team were patrolling the ground. However, a few minutes before the proceedings, journalists were allowed in the Courtroom, much to the vexation of Schulterbrant’s relatives. Marie Lou-Creque, who represented the brothers, asked the Magistrate what was the reason for not allowing the relatives in, and Magistrate Stephens replied she preferred to have a closed-door hearing. Lou-Creque expressed her disappointment after the hearing and said she will be writing the Bar Association on the matter, adding “I’ve never heard of a closed-door proceeding where only the media was allowed.” Comments (2)
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