Caesar charged $20,000 for 1,485 rounds of ammunition

Instead of being given a custodial sentence, retired US Court Clerk Ian Caesar walked away from the Kingstown Magistrates’ Court $20,000 poorer, after paying a fine for the importation of ammunition without a permit.{{more}}

Caesar, 55, of Cane Garden, was arrested and charged on October 13, 2007, for importing over 1485 rounds of ammunition without being the holder of a firearm import permit.

Caesar pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the court last week.

Magistrate Donald Browne said he was not going to send Caesar to prison because he was a man of impeccable character and was just guided wrongly about the laws of the country.

The customs charge brought against Caesar for concealment was dismissed after it was revealed that the ammunition was found in an open barrel, and there was no evidence that there was a false bottom to hide the items.

For delivering to a customs official a document that was false in material, Browne told the court that ammunition cannot be stated as personal effects on the customs form.

The court heard that Caesar, who is the holder of a firearm license, had previously brought ammunition into the country in 1991, but was unaware that the law had changed regarding that. Magistrate Browne commented that the law was changed because of the proliferation of guns in the country.

Caesar’s lawyer Carlyle Dougan said that one charge should have been made out to his client instead of the six separate charges. Magistrate Browne told Dougan that the charges were brought in an abundance of caution because of the different types of ammunition brought in. Dougan also stated that his client had been informed by some friends that it was alright to bring in the ammunition. He added that Caesar was not aware he had to obtain a permit. He asked that the court be mindful and asked that a financial penalty be imposed or that he be reprimanded and discharged.(KW)