PHILIPSBURG–The Prosecutor’s Office asked the Judge in the Court of First Instance on Thursday to sentence suspects F.J. (27) and V.E.B. (24) to sixteen years in prison for a number of armed robberies committed between February 2017 and January 2018.
Both men, who partially confessed to the alleged crimes, are suspects in the so-called “Fluoriet” investigation which stems from a cluster of separate investigations.
Among the alleged crimes are the robbery at Beach Plaza Casino on February 13, 2017, the robbery at Leonard Enterprises in Madame Estate on January 8, 2018, and the attempted robbery at Popular Express supermarket on January 20, 2018.
Other charges mentioned in the indictments include threat and extortion of two victims on December 14, 2017, and a case of home invasion on January 21, 2018.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the two suspects, who have been in pre-trial detention since the beginning of this year, were more or less equally involved in these crimes.
Both men are also suspected of having been in possession of illegal firearms between February 2017 and January 2018.
V.E.B. is also a suspect in the “Posbank” investigation into the shooting of Joceidy Martin Grell on December 5, 2017.
The Prosecutor asked that V.E.B. also be convicted of assault with a weapon for risking serious injury although his target was not hit by a bullet. The Prosecutor did not find attempted murder or manslaughter proven.
“In a relatively short period of time, several armed robberies were committed by these suspects. The suspects were only looking for personal financial gain and did not care about their victims. A lot of violence was used in the robberies and there were always firearms in the game.
“For example, a house robbery took place while a six-year-old child was present, and a firearm was aimed at an elderly woman. These kinds of attack cause feelings of insecurity among the population of St. Maarten. In view of the nature and seriousness of the criminal offences, and also the number of criminal offences, only a substantial long-term prison sentence would be appropriate. St. Maarten’s society must be protected from these suspects for a long time,” said the Prosecutor.
He also requested that both suspects be obliged to repay the proceeds of the criminal offences to Country St. Maarten. These were estimated at US $34,552 and NAf.1,650 for V.E.B. and $18,140 and NAf.1,650 for F.J.
“After all, crime should not pay. By confiscating criminal proceeds the Prosecutor’s Office aims to discourage theft,” the Prosecutor said, who also called for the execution of a three-month suspended sentence for V.E.B.
Attorney-at-law Geert Hatzmann said there was sufficient evidence to hold his client F.J. responsible for two armed robberies, deprivation of liberty, purse-snatching and firearm possession.
He said it was “unavoidable” that his client would be given a lengthy prison sentence, but pleaded with the Court for clemency in light of his client’s cooperation with the police investigations and due to the “draconic” conditions under which persons are detained at the Pointe Blanche prison. According to Hatzmann, five years would be a more suitable punishment.
Whereas her client V.E.B. had eight counts on his indictment, lawyer Safira Ibrahim called for acquittals for the majority of these charges for lack of evidence.
Her client had confessed to his participation in attempted theft and extortion committed on January 20, 2018, and to the possession of a pellet gun.
The lawyer said her client’s attempt to shoot Grell on December 5, 2017, should not be classified as an attempt to inflict severe bodily harm as only one gunshot was fired.
Grell was sentenced to 12 years by the Court for having stabbed a man to death in Dutch Quarter on December 5, 2017. That man happened to be V.E.B.’s friend.
Because her client had only fired one shot, had not deliberately aimed at the man’s vital organs and had not gone in pursuit, Ibrahim said this crime should be considered a threat against life.
She also objected to the severity of the requested punishment and said that in her opinion four years should be enough.
The Court will render the verdicts for both defendants on December 20.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83171-sixteen-years-asked-for-2-serial-robbers
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