By Ricardo Wells
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
SEVEN foreign nationals - four Brazilians, two Jamaicans and one Haitian - were convicted and fined for overstaying in three separate cases yesterday.
In the first matter, Mourice Bearkley Haire, 42, and Patrick Williams, 42, both of Jamaica, pleaded guilty to the offence and were fined $2,000 and $1,500 respectively or six months each in prison.
The men, represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson, were discovered in a Carmichael Road apartment during a joint operation by police and immigration officers.
Haire, found asleep in a bedroom in the apartment, overstayed his permitted allowance by eight months, while Williams, who was discovered hiding in a bathtub in that same apartment, overstayed his specified period of stay by around four months.
The men, in their addresses to the court through their attorney, apologised for their actions and begged the court for leniency. After hearing the pleas of both men, Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans handed down her ruling and ordered the men turned over to immigration officials for deportation after either their fines are paid or sentencing is served.
In the second matter, Lucus Alves de Oliveira, 28, Lucus Magalhaes, 22, Almeira de Silva, 47 and Fillemom Carilliho de Lima, 37, all of Brazil, pleaded guilty to the offence of overstaying.
The men were reportedly found in breech of their authorised periods of stay during a joint operation in South Bimini earlier this month.
At their arraignment yesterday, the men all indicated that they were unaware of Bahamian laws and did not intend to break them.
After hearing their pleas through an interpreter, Senior Magistrate Vogt-Evans fined Alves de Oliveira, Magalhaes and de Silva $1,500 each or six months in prison. As for de Lima, he was fined $500 or two months for his offence.
In the last matter before Senior Magistrate Vogt-Evans yesterday, Edzet Honora, 35, of Haiti, pleaded guilty to overstaying.
Honora, according to court dockets, was found in South Bimini during that same joint operation that netted the four Brazilians.
Honora told the court that he was en route from Haiti to Brazil, via the Bahamas, to meet up with his wife and kids.
At the time of his arrest, he claimed he was waiting to receive some money promised to him to assist with buying the second portion of his airline ticket – from the Bahamas to Brazil. Honora told the court he never intended to remain in the Bahamas long-term, but ended up stuck due to financial issues.
He was fined $500 or two months in prison.
The men were ordered to be turned over to the Department of Immigration after either paying their respective fines or serving out their sentences.
Immigration officers Avia Beckford and Shandeshia Marshall prosecuted the matters.
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