On Friday, January 22, American fugitive William Russell Jewett pled guilty to a charge of money laundering. Jewett was arrested after his sailboat “Latitude Adjustment” was searched by police on Friday, January 15, and 0,000 in U.S. dollars; 4,288 Euros; ,020 in Pesos; 225 Quetzales, and .37 in Belize currency was found. His plea came in the midst of allegations that he and his family were threatened by the Financial Intelligence Unit and the United States Embassy.
Jewett claimed that the FIU and the US Embassy visited him while in prison and told him to fire his attorneys and plead guilty to the charge of money laundering or his wife will be charged as well and his child will be placed in foster care.
However, in speaking with the Guardian Newspaper, the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, Marilyn Williams, disputed claims made by Jewett’s attorney that he was coerced into a guilty plea. Williams says that it is within the FIU’s jurisdiction to bargain with accused persons to expedite processes. She added that it would have been a prolonged process had Jewett been prosecuted by the Customs and Immigration Departments along with the FIU. She said that Jewett and his wife had broken Customs, Immigrations and money laundering laws. She explained that it was Jewett who asked that his wife and kids be left alone in exchange for a guilty plea to money laundering. That plea itself was the best case scenario for Jewett because as Williams explained if it was dealt with under the Customs Act for failure to declare the vessel “Latitude Adjustment” he would have had to pay three times the value of that vessel. The “Latitude Adjustment” is valued at $745,454.10
After the Chief Magistrate, Margaret Gabb-McKenizie accepted Jewett’s guilty plea, she imposed a non custodial sentence and fined him $50,000 plus a $5.00 court fee to pay forthwith or in default five years imprisonment.
Williams told the Guardian that the public allegations made by the attorney for Jewett were irresponsible. She continued to say that no one will enter this country, break our laws and just up and leave- “not anymore”. Jewett’s possessions was forfeited by the court and handed over to the state. She continued saying that there are claims that Jewett has his boat registered with the Belizean boat registry Imarbe; however, that does not have a bearing on declarations that need to be made by boat owners when entering Belizean waters.
