Seven Trinidadians have been found guilty in a US court and sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and murder of US war veteran Balram "Balo" Maharaj. The sentences were handed down yesterday by judge John D Bates at the E Barrett Federal Court, Washington DC. Last evening, acting Deputy Police Commissioner Gilbert Reyes confirmed the life sentences against the accused and commended local officers for their role in the investigations. "I must say that they did extremely well in assisting in the successful prosecution of the accused and they must be highly commended for the professionalism displayed throughout the inquiry," he said.
The convicted men are Kevin "Shaka" Nixon; Anderson "Gypsy's Son" Straker; Christopher "Boyie" Sealey, also known as Christopher Bourne; Wayne "Ninja" Pierre; Army Cpl Richardo De Four; Zion Clarke; and Kevon "Ketchit" Demerieux. They were found guilty by a 12-member jury who began deliberations last Monday. The Trinidadians were among 11 men extradited to the US to answer charges relating to Maharaj's killing. Former member of the T&T Defence Force Special Forces Unit Sgt Leon Nurse and ex-soldier Jason Errol Percival, also known as "Soldier," both of Santa Cruz, had initially pleaded guilty after securing a deal with US prosecutors in exchange for their testimony.
Percival entered his guilty plea on November 16, 2007. On April 15, 2009, Nurse, 44, of Morvant, pleaded guilty on charges of hostage-taking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit hostage-taking resulting in death. He was arrested on January 28, 2006, and extradited to the US on July 27, 2008, along with ten other men. Also pleading guilty to the offences were Russell Jerry Joseph, also known as "Saucy," and Winston Gittens. Joseph plead guilty on July 26, 2006, while Gittens pleaded guilty on February 27, 2007. Their sentencing was deferred by Bates. After months of investigations, 13 people were arrested. One man, David Suchit, was acquitted, while Maharaj's former common-law wife Doreen Alexander-Durity is awaiting trial.
Maharaj, 62, a US war veteran was kidnapped outside the Samaan Tree bar, Aranguez, on April 6, 2005. The prosecution's case was that Maharaj was held hostage under very harsh conditions, including depriving him of essential medications, while his abductors demanded a $3 million ransom from his family for his safe return. The money was never paid. The dismembered and badly-decomposed body of Maharaj was located by FBI agents and local law enforcement officers on January 8, 2006, in a forest at Grand Curacaye, Santa Cruz, buried in two plastic barrels.
Several local officers travelled to Washington DC to give evidence through-out the trial. Three more officers, Sgt Wendell Lucas and PCs Kendell Abraham and Marvin Pinder were expected to return to Trinidad earlier today. Also involved in the investigations were acting Police Commissioner James Philbert, Supt Wayne Boyd, acting ASP Johnny Abraham, Insp Stanley Ramdeen, Sgts Michael Seales, Eric Parks and PCs Larry Lodhar, Montgomery Trotman, Sunil Ramoutar, Mitchell Gosine and Phillip Forbes.