8 years jail, $800,000 fine for West Bank man

The West Bank Demerara (WBD) man who earlier today pleaded guilty to being in possession of illegal guns and ammunition has been sentenced to eight years in jail and fined $800,000.

Steve Hercules, 30, of Sisters Village, WBD along with five other alleged perpetrators appeared at the Providence Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charges – three counts of illegal possession of a firearm and three counts of illegal possession of ammunition.

The five accomplices all pleaded not guilty to the charges while Hercules took the rap for the crime and pleaded guilty.  Hercules had told the court that he was paid $50,000 to pick up the firearms along with the other defendants.

The men were nabbed in a stolen car during a roadblock at Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD), last week, moments after they attempted to rob a poultry farmer.

The other defendants have been identified as Nabadinghi Gobin, 33, of Charlotte Street, Bourda; Renard Khan, 31 of Cooper Street, Albouystown; Mark Prince, 39, of Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara; Edward Skeete, 30, of Independence Boulevard and Marvin Blackman, 27, of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. They have all been remanded to prison until April 20, 2018, where they are expected to face more charges.

The charges alleged that on April 10, 2018, at Grove, they had one Glock 9mm pistol with serial number FKA 452 and 11 rounds, one black Glock 9mm pistol with its serial number filed off and 11 rounds, one black Beretta Pistol with serial number PY 1467150 and 11 rounds and one Taurus pistol with its serial number filed out and six live rounds.

Hercules was also charged separately with the fraudulent imitation of an identification mark of a registered motor vehicle that is to say PVV 6204. He also pleaded guilty to this charge.