Security guards, soldier remanded for multi-million-dollar gold heist

Two security guards along with a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant were on Tuesday arraigned for the multimillion-dollar robbery committed on Wallison’s Enterprise.
Charged are 36-year-old Delroy “Bug” Jackson and Peon Lee also known as “Nino Brown”, both security officers attached to the business and 32-year-old Keyon King, a serving GDF Sergeant.
They made their appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where the charge was read to them by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.
Police stated that on Thursday, August 5, 2021, while being armed with guns and in the company of each other, they robbed Francis Santos Lumes of 60 ounces of raw gold valued at $20 million and $38 million in cash.
In addition, Police stated that they robbed Fernanda Carmicheal of a cell phone valued $350,000. Further, it is alleged that the men robbed Francis Santos Lumes of a gold chain valued at 140,000, a gold ring valued at $60,000, and $14,000.
Finally, they were accused of robbing William Da Silva of a cell phone valued $60,000. The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded to prison and the case will continue on August 24.
The three men had confessed to robbing the gold establishment on Thursday last of a quantity of gold valued $20 million and $38 million in cash. In addition, they escaped with several high-end mobile phones belonging to staff members who were bound and gagged during the robbery.
It was reported that on the day in question at about 10:00h, three armed men went to the Lot 23 Gordon Street business and indicated that they had gold to sell. However, within minutes of entering the establishment, they held several staff members at gunpoint and demanded that they open three safes where the money and gold were secured.
After committing the robbery, the armed men bound and gagged the cashier and two other staff after which they locked them in a room. Moments after escaping in white motor car, the cashier managed to free herself and raised an alarm.
The Police were called in and immediately one of the two security guards was arrested. Based on intelligence and information received, the detectives went to a house in B Field Sophia where they conducted a search and found some personal items belonging to the owner of the business. There, another security guard was taken into custody.
The security guards were, however, interrogated during which one of them confessed to being part of the plot to rob the establishment.
Following leads, the detectives turned up at the home of the GDF sergeant at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), where a search was conducted in the house but nothing substantial was found.
Nevertheless, during a search in the yard, the detectives noticed a disturbed piece of land and decided to dig. It was then, a bucket was found buried, which, when checked, contained $15 million in $5000 notes and an additional $3 million in $1000 notes.
The bucket was reportedly wrapped in two black garbage bags while the money was neatly packed in transparent bags. The operation was conducted by members of the Major Crimes Unit and members of the business community, especially the gold industry.
Following the successful operation, the Sergeant along with his wife were arrested. During interrogation, he told investigators that he was part of the initial plan to rob the gold establishment but he was not one of them who committed the act.
The Sergeant also related that his wife was not aware of the robbery and as such, requested for her to be released.
The Police were subsequently told that the other two robbers are ex-military personnel. As information became available about their whereabouts, the Police went to a village on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) but no arrests were made.
On Sunday, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had stated that Police were hunting for the driver of the motor car, along with the two other men who were caught on camera during the daring robbery.