Patrice Smith Bullard and Loomes Wheeler
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
A 44-year-old Bahamian woman has been charged in a Florida court with aiding the escape of a man wanted for more than a dozen sexual offences in Osceola County. On Friday Patrice Smith Bullard was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Investigators allege that she helped 70-year-old Loomes Wheeler escape to the Bahamas.
After being on the run for nearly a year, Wheeler was arrested on Saturday in George Town, Exuma, by Drug Enforcement Unit Officers. He was wanted for nine counts of capital sexual battery, four counts of lewd and lascivious conduct and three counts of sexual performance by a child.
According to international reports, during the search for Wheeler detectives said they obtained information that his former business associate, Patrice Smith Bullard, helped him leave the country and provided him with a few names and phone numbers of individuals she knew in the Bahamas.
One of the names was Bullard’s ex-husband, with whom Wheeler was found when he was arrested, authorities said.
Wheeler told Drug Enforcement Administration agents that Bullard assisted him with leaving Osceloa County by driving him to Miami and providing him with a hotel room until an unknown man took him by boat to the Bahamas.
On April 15 authorities said Bullard was brought in for questioning and provided inconsistent statements to investigators. Based on the information a felony warrant was obtained for her arrest. Two days later, with the assistance of the US Marshal’s Service, Bullard was found in Ft Lauderdale, attempting to take a flight to the Bahamas.
DEU officers were in the midst of an unrelated marijuana investigation in Exuma when they stumbled across the 70-year-old Wheeler, who attempted to change his appearance.
Initially he provided Bahamian police with false information. They took him into custody until they were able to verify who he was. He was arrested and deported and is currently being held without bail.
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- Police arrest a man suspected in a spate of recent sexual assaults in Bacardi Road area
- Man held on charges of a spree of sexual assaults
- Police investigate two alleged sexual assaults and a traffic fatality
Comments
Bahamianpride 10 years, 6 months ago
She showed how much she really doesn't give a rats ass about her country or the general well being of others to add this predator
jusscoolin 10 years, 6 months ago
That's the problem there ,we don't know who the heck we have here in the Bahamas hiding . Like I said before .There should be a need for an id card where It could be computer swiped which includes your fingerprints . Some smart person wants to pay off the person in charge for his copy. Signatures of the Head of National Security, Head of Immigration and Chief of Police would be placed on it. Temp workers on work permits also required to have one. God forbid, one of you posting was to get murdered and found in bushes. This will also help law enforcement to quickly id you through your fingerprints being in the computer data bank. If I was here illegal I would think twice about staying here. Used in travel , banking and as an id to get a drivers license and for renewal. Peoples, we have to make everyone who are here illegally and those on the run from the law very uncomfortable as it stands they are too comfortable!
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bismark 10 years, 6 months ago
you know how much criminals are hiding in those Exuma cays?try to pass themselves off as sailboaters,law enforcement need to shake down all of those private cays many are hiding on them
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