ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A Magistrate’s Court in St Vincent yesterday ordered a flight attendant with the regional airline, LIAT, to pay EC $10,000 forthwith or serve nine months in jail after she pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.
Sherita Kernelle Newton, 30, was charged with bringing criminal property into St Vincent and the Grenadines, and also being in possession of criminal property, contrary to the country’s laws.
The Dominican national pleaded guilty to both charges when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias.
The court was told that, on November 21, law enforcement agents conducted a search of Newton’s apartment at Beachcomers Hotel, and questioned her in relation to monies she had in her possession and suspected to have been derived from criminal activities.
Newton told police that she had EC $12,000, but when police counted the money, it amounted to EC $27,000. She also had Euro 25 in her possession.
Newtown told police that someone in Antigua had given her the money to take to an individual in St Vincent and that she was paid a fee of EC $1,000 to transport the amount.
She, however, did not disclose the identities of the person sending the money or the intended recipient.
She was taken into custody and the charges were brought against her after a joint investigation by the Financial Intelligence and the Narcotics Units.
The monies were forfeited by the Confiscated Assets Fund, but the court did not grant an application for confiscation of Newton’s benefit from the criminal action (namely the $1,000), she having been convicted of money laundering. (CMC)