U.S. Citizen William Jewett Remanded on Money Laundering Charge

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Jan. 20, 2010
American national William Russell Jewett, 33, whose boat Lattitude Adjustment was seized along with $120,000 U.S. currency, was charged with money laundering and two Customs and Excise Department offences when he appeared today in the #1 Magistrate’s Court.
The offences brought by the Customs and Excise Department were for failure to declare the importation of Lattitude Adjustment valued at $764,451.10 for which the Comptroller of Customs is asking for three times its value, and knowingly evading customs duty by not reporting his vessel as required by customs law.
The prosecution, represented by Counsel Mikael Arguelles of the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Belize, objected to bail on the grounds that Jewett is wanted in the Southern District of Alabama for failing to appear in court on August 31, 2009 on a gun related charge, that he entered Belize without a genuine U.S. passport, that he has the ability to obtain fraudulent documents to travel to another jurisdiction and that immigration charges will be brought against him because he entered Belize illegally.
One of Jewett’s attorneys, Dickie Bradley, submitted that there is no evidence that his client will flee if granted bail, that his client’s boat and assets are far beyond what is normally required for bail and that stringent terms and conditions can be set when offering bail.
Ellis Arnold, who also represented Jewett, submitted that one of the conditions the Court needs to look at is the quality of evidence of the prosecution because the prosecution has failed to show the court that it has strong evidence.
But despite the submissions of both counsels for Jewett, Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie denied Jewett bail on the grounds that there is a warrant for Jewett’s arrest for failing to appear in Court in the United States on August 31, 2009. She remanded him into custody until February 9.
Police busted Jewett on Friday, January 15 when they went to Old Belize at Mile 5 on the Western Highway where Lattitude Adjustment was docked. They reported that when they searched the boat they found $120,000 U.S. currency, some Euro currency, some pesos and $23 Belize currency.
According to a report, Jewett entered Belize on December 31, 2009, via Hunting Caye.

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