Quartet held for wharf gun find get bail extension
Published:Saturday | March 18, 2023 | 12:09 AMTanesha Mundle/Gleaner Writer
The alleged mastermind and three alleged accomplices behind a massive gun find of 21 firearms and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition at a warehouse at the wharf in Kingston last March had their bail extended on Thursday.
They are to return to court on July 6.
Godfrey Martin, otherwise called ‘Rev’, a St Elizabeth businessman who is alleged to be the mastermind, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to illegally import guns and conspiracy to illegally import ammunition.
Similarly charged are two United States nationals – Jermaine Baker, a 36-year-old chef of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and 42-year-old Dervan Brown, a construction worker of Bronx, New York.
Sherilyn McLean, the girlfriend of the 51-year-old businessman, was also charged in the matter.
The four were charged following the illegal gun find on March 4, 2022. Three rifles, 18 handguns, and 2,216 rounds of ammunition were discovered after customs officers detected a suspicious package and summoned the Contraband Enforcement Team.
On Thursday, when the case was mentioned, the court was informed that a report from the police’s Communication Forensic Cybercrimes Department (CFCD) was outstanding and that the Crown needed more time to complete the case file.
CFCD head Superintendent Dwayne Daley committed to have the report available by the next date, following which July 6 was agreed for as the mention date.
All four defendants had their bail extended.