Michael Brandon Leslie, from the Cayman Islands, has been sentenced to 46months imprisonment in the USA after pleading guilty to gunrunning, plus a three-year term of supervised release.

Leslie was one of six defendants charged with gunrunning between the Cayman Islands and Florida, USA and in return for pleading guilty to the charge six other counts were dismissed.

If the case had gone to court Leslie could have faced between 20 to 30 years imprisonment if he had been found guilty.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received information from law enforcement officials in Grand Cayman that a group of individuals located in the Miami Florida area were involved with individuals located in the Cayman Islands in smuggling firearms and ammunition from the United States to Grand Cayman.

Through investigation ATF Agents identified several individuals including, Mikkyle Leslie aka Brandon Ebanks, Michael Ebanks, Brittanio Walton, Mitchell Anthony Brown, Howard Antonio Edwards aka Michael Bell, Marvin Watson, Ashley Watler, Rochelle Holness, Robert Terry, Andrew Campbell, Andrew Thompson and Kyle Santamaria aka Santana, Tito Bonilla and Michael Henry as participants in the firearms smuggling activities.

The criminal activities took place between July 2008 and March 2009. The arrests were made in April 2009.

According to the “Case 0:11-cr-60299-RSR Document 140 Entered on FLSD Docket 02/14/2013” Ikkyle Brandon Leslie, alk/a Brandon Ebanks, alka Mikkyle Brandon Ebanks, alk/a Jason Jenkins, alk/a Kalishnikov, Defendant did “knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury to: (A) knowingly and willfully deliver and cause to be delivered to a common carrier, for transportation and shipment in interstate and foreign commerce to a person, other than a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector, a package or container  containing  a firearm and ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm and ammunition was being transported and shipped, in violation  of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922/) and 924(a)(l)(D); and (B) knowingly and fraudulently  export, attempt to export, and send from the United States to a place outside the United States, that is, the Cayman Islands, merchandise, articles, and objects, that is, firearms and ammunition, contrary to the laws and regulations of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 554; and knowingly conceal and facilitate the concealment and transportation of a firearm and ammunition, prior to exportation, knowing the same to be intended for exportation contrary to any law or regulation of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 554, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 as charged in Count  l of the Indictment.”

The court recommended that Leslie be assigned to a prison in Florida and he participate in an alcohol/drug abuse programme whilst there.

Leslie has been in US federal custody since his arrest in late 2011 and it was not immediately stated whether he would be given credit for time already served.

Also see iNews Cayman story on February 17 2013 “Cayman gunrunner pleads guilty in the USA” at http://www.ieyenews.com/2013/02/cayman-gunrunner-pleads-guilty-in-usa/