North Ruimveldt arms, drug bust
Accused pleads guilty -During questioning police offered to fly her to T&T
By Keisha McCammon
Stabroek News
December 2, 2006
The North Ruimveldt woman who was to go on trial for having a large amount of ammunition, cocaine, two firearms and four grenades under a bed in her home pleaded guilty yesterday to all the charges and sentencing was put off until Monday.
Rhonda Gomes, 24, entered guilty pleas to the five charges after they were re-read to her by Magistrate Oneidge Walrond-Allicock at court six yesterday. After re-reading the charges and hearing Gomes plead guilty, the Magistrate told her that the maximum penalty for narcotics trafficking is five years and for the explosives (grenade) charge a fine is imposed and between one and three years is applied for the firearm charges. She added that the sentences can be applied consecutively and asked whether Gomes understood this to which she replied in the affirmative.
Police prosecutor Hugh Winter read the facts of the case which stated that on November 10 acting on information received the police went on a raid at North Ruimveldt where they conducted searches for narcotics and firearms. On arrival at the address Gomes was met in the bottom flat where a search was carried out by the police and the articles were found under a bed. Gomes was told of the offence committed and charged.
When she first appeared in the magistrate's court, Gomes had pleaded not guilty to the drugs and grenades charges and was not required to plead to the guns and ammunition charges as these were being taken indictably. At the following hearing, an application was made for these matters to be taken summarily and there was no objection. Summary handling of these matters attracts lighter penalties.
Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes in his plea yesterday for leniency for his client stated that Gomes was born on June 9, 1982 and that her parents were never married. She attended the Winfer Gardens primary school and later went to St Joseph's high school where she got six subjects: grades twos and threes after which she did two courses at the business school which she satisfactorily concluded. She also went to the University of Guyana for a communication course however this proved too challenging for her economically and she regrettably and prematurely had to cut it short. He added that Gomes worked with her father who has a stall in the market and that prior to the charges filed against her, she never attracted negative attention from the police force. "Prior to November 10 she was a relatively normal citizen and became involved with a gentleman who she shared premises with, a gentleman who she was unaware of the activity in which he was involved and trusted him. She gave him copies of her keys and allowed him freedom to use her premises and would go out and return to find him there", Hughes said.
The relationship, he said, lasted for two and a half years and has now ended. The police, he added, will confirm that the weapons were found underneath the bed surrounded by Christmas decorations and a pram, because he added the couple had planned to have children.
He stated, too, that Gomes thought the man was a relatively normal person and she wore her heart on her sleeve and became too emotionally involved and that it was not until the time of her arrest which coincided with the flight of the young man that she truly appreciated how callous he was. He continued that if she thought it was the end of her woes it was only the beginning since threats were made to her and her mother about releasing to the police force the name of the man or his activities.
Trinidad
Hughes added that soon after Gomes' arrest the police interrogated her and offered to fly her out to Trinidad, ostensibly for protection. She enquired about what would happen to her after and they said they didn't know and she declined their offer.
The narcotics, Hughes said, was found in a briefcase and the police, he said, will confirm that they found no evidence that Gomes had handled any of the items. There had been a statement from the police force, he said, that the weapons found were not linked to any criminal activity in the country. He added that Gomes does not have the military training or physical characteristics to use the weapons and that no allegation was made that anyone like her used weapons. He begged the Magistrate to consider that CANU had no reason to suspect her in trafficking in narcotics. It is unfortunate, he said, that the police didn't have the time or intelligence to find out who was the real perpetrator. Gomes, he said, was a pawn in a game she was not aware of and asked that the Magistrate reflect it in a minimum sentence.
Vulnerable
"She is at the age where one can say she is very vulnerable". He asked that the Magistrate also consider that the charges were brought indictably and the prosecution in their wisdom elected to have them read summarily. This he believes is as a result of the circumstances and that she is not really the person they wanted to pursue. He concluded by asking that the sentences imposed run concurrently and that Gomes be given the minimum.
Police Prosecutor Winter in response stated that serious charges were laid against the accused and asked that the Magistrate look at the type of weapons and the quantity of narcotics found before passing sentence.
Gomes who was dressed in a black skirt suit with a pink shirt shed tears as her attorney was pleading for a lenient sentence on her behalf.
Gomes admitted to having 10 kg, 999 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking; three fragmentation grenades and one concussion grenade, all being explosives without lawful authority. She is also accused of having two firearms: one AK-47 automatic rifle and an automatic rifle number 008187, 19 7.62 magazines and one pistol magazine without lawful authority.
Gomes also allegedly had 1,192 rounds 7.62 x 39 ammunition, 245 rounds 9mm ammunition, 77 rounds .38 special ammunition, 14 rounds of .30 ammunition, 35 rounds .32 ammunition, one round .22 ammunition and 47 12-gauge cartridges without lawful authority.
A person found guilty of a firearm offence on an indictable charge faces a jail term of not less than seven years while taken summarily a conviction could result in a sentence of not less than one year and not more than three years.
After the raid on Gomes residence, the police had then proceeded to the Bel Air Gardens residence of Farouk Razac and Carolan Lynch. They detained the couple after finding a weapon. The two were later charged in the matter and granted bail.
Gomes is represented by attorneys at law Hughes, Mark Waldron, Ronald Burch- Smith and Roger Yearwood.
The Magistrate put off sentencing for Monday after listening to submissions from both sides.