Venezuelan, Trinidadian get five months in jail

Venezuelan Milagros Del Valle Pajero Guaimare and Trinidadian Donny Rochford were both sentenced to five months in jail, after they pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of 175, 260 Euros{{more}} and US$744, reasonably suspected of being stolen or unlawfully obtained on May 7, 2011.

Chief Magistrate Sonya Young passed sentence on the duo when they appeared at the Serious Offences Court on Monday, May 30.

The court heard that both defendants arrived in the country on May 4 and stayed at a hotel in the Villa area. On Saturday, May 7, acting on information received, the two were apprehended at the E.T. Joshua Airport after they had already cleared immigration officials.

Narcotics Unit personnel at the airport took Guaimare and Rochford to the Narcotics base where a search of their luggage was conducted.

700 Euros, 3600 Euros and US$734 were found in a purse in the pocket of Guaimare’s pants. The 41-year-old woman told police that she was a prostitute and the money that was found in her pants was proceeds from her trade.

A search was also conducted on a brown bag belonging to Guaimare, which resulted in the discovery of 164,000 Euros. Both denied knowledge of the money at the time.

When they were taken to the Criminal Investigations Department in Kingstown, Rochford was searched and 3120 Euros was found in one of his socks along with US$10.

The money was counted and amounted to 175,260 Euros and US$744.

In mitigation, lawyer Patina Knights told Chief Magistrate Young that Guaimare is a single mother of two children, ages 21 and 11. She further added that Guaimare has to look after her sickly mother, who also lives with her.

Knight pleaded with the court not to impose a custodial sentence, but rather to hand down a deportation order.

“If the court is minded to pass a custodial sentence, I ask that time on remand be taken into consideration along with her guilty plea,” Knights pleaded.

Knights also made the similar submission on behalf of 32-year-old Contractor, Rochford. She said Rochford is the owner of a Construction company back in Trinidad and has to take care of his six-year-old god-daughter and young nephew.

Before passing sentence, The Chief Magistrate said she was minded to send them to prison for years, but said she was expecting another charge to be laid against Guaimare and Rochford.

The money was confiscated and a deportation order was also made against the non-nationals.