Network of women sourced SIM cards for hundreds of gang calls – witness
Published:Friday | May 6, 2022 | 12:10 AM
The Clansman-One Don Gang trial heard Thursday that a number of women from Spanish Town, St Catherine - and one from even as far as Falmouth, Trelawny - were among several persons who had purchased SIM cards used by members of the alleged notorious criminal organisation to make hundreds of phone calls.
A communication analyst, while giving details of subscriber information received from one of the country’s main telecommunication service providers, disclosed that seven of the 10 names listed on the accounts were females, some appearing on multiple accounts.
A confessed top-tier gang member-turned-prosecution witness had previously testified that his alleged former cronies changed their SIM cards regularly and would use different persons to purchase them.
Based on the data shared by the detective sergeant, an expert witness, only two alleged members of the gang had personally subscribed to that service provider: the lone female defendant Stephanie ‘Muma’ Christie, a St Thomas pastor; and an ex-gang member who is now a state witness.
The other alleged gang members, including reputed leader Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan; the alleged deputy leader, Jason ‘City Puss’ Brown; defendants Fabian ‘Crocs’ Johnson; Jahzeal ‘Squeeze Eye’ Blake; Marco ‘Ezzy’ Miller; and Ruel ‘Rell’ Taylor were, however, attributed as users of the SIM card numbers.
The data presented also showed that some of the defendants had multiple numbers, including Bryan, who had four, and City Puss, five, even though they were both behind bars at the time.
The trial further heard that there was consistent communication between the alleged gang members and the former community don, who was one of Bryan’s personal drivers.
The expert, using a link chart, showed that between January and August 2019, there were numerous calls made to and from three phones that were being used by the prosecution witness. Those three phones were also used by the witness to secretly record the conversations with his alleged cronies, which were then turned over to the police.
The record showed that Bryan, in one instance, allegedly called a Crown witness’ phones 250 times and 384 times using another of his numbers. City Puss, in one instance, had reportedly used one of his numbers to call the witness 740 times.
The witness will continue giving details of phone record data today when the trial is resumed in the Home Circuit Court.
Bryan and 32 other alleged gang members are being tried on an indictment with 25 counts under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organizations) Act and the Firearms Act.