Taxi driver charged with $50M robbery of Lusignan businessman

Deryck Carl Holder, a 40-year-old taxi driver from Lot 9, Second Street, Meadow Bank, Georgetown, has been charged with ‘Robbery Under Arms’ following an alleged armed robbery at the home of a Lusignan businessman.

Holder was arrested on Monday and faced the charges in court yesterday.

The incident, which occurred on October 12, 2024, saw the businessman’s residence in Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, targeted by armed assailants at approximately 3:00 a.m.

Holder is accused of being one of the gunmen who forcibly entered the home and, at gunpoint, stole a staggering $50,160,000 in cash from the businessman.

The case was brought before the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where Magistrate Sunil Scarce heard the proceedings. However, Holder, who is currently on remand for another armed robbery charge, was not present in court, and the matter was adjourned to December 19 for the charge to be formally read to him.

Investigations revealed that the victim, a businessman, resides in a two-storey concrete building in Lusignan, with the lower flat serving as a hardware store. On the night of the robbery, the businessman’s brother, a doctor, was asleep in his bedroom when he was confronted by three armed assailants. The gunmen demanded money, and the doctor handed over the approximately $100,000 he had in his possession.

Unsatisfied with this amount, the gunmen threatened the doctor, forcing him to lead them to the hardware store located on the lower level of the building, where the businessman kept his substantial cash stash. The men ransacked the store and found the $50M in a black plastic bag, which they seized before fleeing the scene in a getaway car.

This brazen robbery has shocked the Lusignan community, and authorities are continuing their efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the crime. Holder’s arrest marks a significant development in the investigation, with further updates expected following the adjourned court date.