Mckenzie
Riccardo McKenzie, a 28-year-old Jamaican citizen, has been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison by an Antiguan court for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The sentencing took place on Friday following an arrest made earlier in the week.
On August 19, Antiguan police, acting on received information, intercepted a silver Toyota Belta in the Green Castle area of Bendals.
McKenzie was found in the vehicle alongside another Jamaican national, O’Neil Swaby.
During a search of the car, officers discovered a 9mm pistol with seven rounds of matching ammunition in the chamber.
The firearm, described as a ‘ghost gun’ due to the absence of a serial number, was found in plain sight on the back seat. Police also found a ski mask in a bag on McKenzie’s person, raising suspicions about potential criminal intent.
Both men appeared in court on Wednesday, where McKenzie took full responsibility for the crimes. As a result, charges against Swaby were withdrawn, but he was subsequently deported to Jamaica on Thursday morning.
Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel, presiding over the case, noted that the circumstances of the discovery suggested the two might have been planning to commit a crime.
Consequently, McKenzie received concurrent sentences of one year and eight months for the firearm charge and nine months for ammunition possession.
While immigration authorities have initiated deportation proceedings for McKenzie, the court ruled that he must first serve his sentence in Antigua before any potential deportation can take place.
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