Repeat offenders get 4 years each for $13M theft

Forty-six-year-old Patrick Smith, of Cortha Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, and 25-year-old Linton Trotman, of Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, were on Thursday sentenced to four years in prison after they were charged with a $13 million theft.

The two men made their virtual appearance before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly via Skype at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and were found guilty of the charge which stated that between January 10 and 11, 2019, at King Street, Georgetown, they broke and entered Bassant’s Trading and stole $13 million in cash, property of Bissoondyal Deodasingh.

According to reports, on January 10, 2019, Deodasingh secured the money in a safe on the second floor of the

building, but when he turned up the following day, he discovered that the safe had been tampered with and the cash was missing.
Police subsequently reviewed the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage and based on evidence, arrested the suspects. Trotman was allegedly found with $410,000 in his possession while $2 million, along with the documents, was later recovered.
A third suspect, Elton King, allegedly admitted to dropping off and picking up the two men in his vehicle, along with another man after they committed the act.
King allegedly received $1.3 million as his share. Furthermore, when King was questioned, he denied knowing the two accused and any involvement in the robbery. Based on advice received from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), no charge was made out against King, and he was used as a witness for the prosecution.
It was revealed that both defendants had been previously charged and had pending matters in the court; as such, Magistrate Daly sentenced the duo to four years in prison.