By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
FREEPORT – Four Haitian men and one Bahamian man were arraigned in the Eight Mile Rock Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with the suspected illegal human smuggling incident at Holmes Rock.
The men appeared before Magistrate Gwen Claude. Jerome Eugene Hutcheson III, enforcement supervisor at the Department of Immigration, prosecuted on behalf of the department.
Haitians Alfrede Jean, 35; Jimmy Jean, 28; Gaby Denis, 29; and Ezechiel Auguste, 26; all of Holmes Rock, were charged with illegal entry.
On December 10, they were allegedly found at Holmes Rock having landed without the leave of an Immigration officer and elsewhere than at an authorised port of entry.
The Haitians men pleaded guilty.
Hilbert McPhee, 32, of Pine Forest Subdivision, Holmes Rock, was charged with helping the four Haitians enter illegally.
McPhee initially pleaded guilty to the charge, then reversed his plea.
Magistrate Claude ordered the Haitian men to pay a fine of $300 each or spend three months in prison.
She also ordered that they be deported from the country.
McPhee was given a conditional discharge and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
He was also ordered to donate $500 to the Department of Immigration.
Comments
jackflash 10 years, 4 months ago
WTF - McPhee was given a conditional discharge and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to donate $500 to the Department of Immigration.
are you kidding me?
McPhee will be out there doing it again! This is crazy!
Magistrate Gwen Claude should be sent packing - this is nuts!!!
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 4 months ago
The Bahamian should be made to pay a matching fine attached to every individual he's alleged to have smuggled in. The 500 is a joke when he could earn thousands per person for the ones who were caught and the ones who got away.
SP 10 years, 4 months ago
Doing the math......$3,000.00 profit for each smuggled person versus $300.00 fine and free ride back home for Haitians, or $500.00 and community service for Bahamians?
The Judge is an idiot.....And I am most definitely, without question in the wrong business!
To think we thought just politicians were stupid…Seems to be endemic to the “ruling class”!
HolandObserver 10 years, 4 months ago
SMH....its too early in the morning- I know for sure that I just read this article incorrectly: $300 and $500 fine. That is a slap on the wrist and the 100 hours of community service is a joke. The Bahamian involved, in my opinion is guilty of treason. Its no wonder why we have an illegal immigration problem.
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