7 News Belize

GSU Gun Bust Gets 24 Year Old 10 Years in Jail
posted (March 22, 2013)
24 year-old Nelson Martinez, a resident of Plues Street, is spending the first night of a 5 year prison sentence after he was convicted of firearm offence in Magistrate's Court today.

According to the Gang Suppression Unit, at 9:40 p.m. May 26, 2012, they were on George Street conducting operations when they saw Martinez riding a bicycle at the corner of Bishop and George Streets. When the GSU officers approached him, he sped off trying to escape. Just before he was caught, Martinez reportedly pulled out an object and threw it over a fence into a yard which is near to his Plues Street address.

When he was detained, the officers located the object he threw away, and discovered that it was an Austria Brand Glock 9 mm pistol, which contained 13 live rounds of ammunition. As a result, they arrested and charged him with keeping an unlicensed firearm, and keeping unlicensed ammunition.

When Martinez was given his opportunity to give his side of the story in court, he said that the officers chased him down and when they finally caught him, they planted the weapon and bullets on him to frame him for an illegal item that he never possessed.

In coming to her decision, Magistrate Stuart informed Martinez that the prosecution has provided reliable evidence against him, but he has not be able to provide an adequate defence. As a result, she found him guilty, and sentenced him to 5 years for the firearm, and 5 years for the ammunition.

Both sentences are to run concurrently, so he will only spend 5 years in prison.

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