57-year-old Andre Gomes known as “Zipper” and 33-year-old Eon Joseph on Friday appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for cocaine trafficking.
Gomes owns D&D Pawn Shop in Campbellville, Georgetown. He and Joseph were arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
They were arrested following a raid on October 26, 2021 at Gomes’ Lot 32 Craig Street, Campbellville home by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). The men were busted with two kilograms of cocaine valued at $2M.
Joseph pleaded guilty to the charge and fined $3.1 million and sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Gomes pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison until November 2. The men were represented by attorney-at-law Siand Dhurjon.
Dhurjon told the court Gomes was innocent and CANU had brought a trumped up charge against his client. The attorney alleged that Gomes is constantly victimized by the police and CANU.
Joseph told the court that he was under Financial constraint when he was approached by a man to help them sell narcotics. He further told the court that on the day in question, he took the man to Gomes’ residence to sell narcotics.
However, Gomes refused and turned them away. While leaving the premises, Joseph said he was arrested by CANU ranks.
According to police prosecutor Richard Harris, on the day in question, CANU ranks, acting on information received, went to Gomes’ home and conducted surveillance. Soon after, the ranks saw Joseph arrive in a motor car and went into Gomes’s yard.
According to the prosecutor, the men proceeded to do the transaction. CANU agents then stormed the yard and arrested the duo with two parcels of a brick like substance suspected to be cocaine. The men were arrested and taken to CANU headquarters where Joseph gave a statement.
In 2018, Gomes was freed from a cocaine trafficking charge by Magistrate Leron Daly. He was accused of trafficking 902 grams of cocaine on January 30, 2018 at his Craig Street home.
In 2015, Gomes was charged with the May 10, 2015 murder of Nigel Isaacs of Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later withdrew the charge due to insufficient evidence.
Looks like Zipper gonna walk again…..de udder bhai tekkin’ de fall!