iNews Briefs, More & Community Events
Community Events
RENT: The Musical
Opens Thursday September 10th, 2015
Runs to October 3rd, 2015
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Doors open at 6:30 PM for Happy Hour
try our special Tom Collins cocktail!
at The Prospect Playhouse
Do not miss out on the musical event of the year!
No Day but Today!
Click here for tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/rent-the-musical-all-ticket-prices-in-us-tickets-17993960420?aff=ehomecard
Dr. Moody September 2015
Gordon Solomon Art
You are invited you to attend the opening evening of
Doctor Moody: Frames of Mind
A new series of work by Gordon Solomon
Cayman islands national Gallery DART Auditorium
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oknWyXVUGc&feature=youtu.be
Please join the Cayman Jewish Community for the following programmes:
Sunday September 27th
6:30 pm Sukkot Under the Stars
Tuesday, September 29th
4:00pm Sukkot Children’s Party
Monday, October 26th
Mark Halawa: From Kuwait to Jerusalem
Wednesday, December 9th
4:00 pm Pardes Rock Chanukah Concert
Wednesday, January 6th 2016
Jerusalem Uncovered: Rabbi Avraham Stolik
8th Annual CISPA Gala “Back to the Future-Celebrating 45 years of excellence”
Date: 10/10/2015
Time: 6:30 PM
Ritz Carlton Seven Mile Beach
Phone: 749 3360
Register
Event Description: The 8th Annual CISPA Gala “Back to the Future-Celebrating 45 years of excellence” is a time to celebrate Caymanians who recently attained their professional accounting designations as well as a chance to celebrate the past and look to the future
Directions: The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman
Annual Meals on Wheels Dress Down Day
SAVE THE DATE
Dress Down Day Friday, 20th November, 2015
Help feed our Seniors we believe no-one in Cayman should go hungry.
Individuals can help by purchasing an orange ribbon for $5.00 or a tee shirt for $15.00 and wearing them on Dress Down Day, we are encouraging companies to match employee donations.
For more information or to sign up to participate please feel free to contact us via email at [email protected] or via telephone at 949-3905.
CARE announces Cayman Islands 5th Annual Paws for wine
Sat Sept 26th Ristorante Pappagallo
Lions Club of Tropical Gardens Brenda Tibbetts-Lund Memorial 5K Walk/Run5K
Sunday October 3, 2015 in North Side at 6am
FRI SEP 11
3rd Annual St Baldrick’s Heroes for Hannah Shave
The 3rd Annual St Baldrick’s Heroes for Hannah Shave is Friday (11 Sept) at The Wicket in Cricket Square. The fundraiser is to help conquer childhood cancer.
SAT SEP 12
Our Little Miss Universal Beauty Fundraiser
The Cayman Islands Our Little Miss Universal Beauty will be having a Cake Sale Fundraiser on Saturday (12 Sept) at Foster’s Food Fair in Countryside in Savannah from 10-5.
Early Childhood Association Meeting
The Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association will meet on Saturday (12 Sept) at St. Ignatius School at 9am. There will be a special presentation on ‘an holistic approach of prevention of sexual abuse in preschools’ by Dr. Taylor Burrowes.
SUN SEP 13
Back-To-School Rally
A special Back-To-School Rally will be held on Sunday (13 Sept) at 9:45 a.m. at the Wesleyan Holiness Church on Northwest Point Road in West Bay. Morning Worship follows at 11:00 a.m.
Annual all-day meeting at the Church of God Full Gospel Hall
You’re invited to the annual all-day meeting at the Church of God Full Gospel Hall in George Town on Sunday (13 Sept) with Sunday school at 945, morning worship at 1045, praise service at 3pm and evangelistic service at 715pm. This will be followed by special evangelistic services Monday — Friday (14 — 18 Sept) at 730pm nightly.
MON SEP 14
Revival Services
The Church of God in West Bay is hosting Revival Services Monday — Sunday (14 — 20 Sept) at 730pm nightly. Sunday services including Sunday School at 945am, Morning Worship at 11am and evangelistic service at 645pm.
Grand Court Jurors Notice
Grand Court jurors in the current session must report on Monday (14 Sept) at 945am.
NWDA in North Side
The National Workforce Development Agency is hosting a meeting at North Side Library on Monday (14 Sept) at 10am.
TUE SEP 15
Seafarers Social
Date: Tuesday, September 15th 2015 Time: 7:00 pm Place: Cayman Islands Seafarers Association Hall, 11 Victory Ave, Prospect Dress: Semi Casual A night of great food and entertainment
SAT SEP 19
Lions Club of Tropical Gardens invites you to its FISH FRY
Mark your calendars Cayman Islands triathlon training series is back!
The Cayman Islands Triathlon Association (CITA) training series
The CITA is pleased to announce the new dates of the Triathlon Training Series, on Saturdays:
* September 20th 2015
* October 11th 2015
More information about the training series can be found at http://www.triathlon.ky/events/ci-triathlon-training-series.
Cricket: Cayman Islands lose to Norway by 8 runs
Norway 252/8 (50 ov)
Cayman Islands 244/9 (50.0 ov)
See scorecard attached
CARIBBEAN: Strong earthquake rocks Trinidad
By Caribbean 360
IMAGE: trini-earthquake
CARIBBEAN 360 – A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Trinidad and Tobago early this morning, but there have been no reports of injuries or damage.
The tremor occurred around 3:49 a.m. to the northwest of Trinidad, at a depth of 136 km, and was felt widely across the country.
Earthquake at 03:49am located at north-west of Trinidad 11.17N 61.97W Depth 136 km Mag. 4.8. Felt reports so far
Residents flooded the UWI Seismic Research Centre (SRC) Facebook page with posts indicating they felt the tremor, with some indicating it was so strong that it woke them from sleep.
While the SRC put the magnitude at 4.8 in its report on the event, it indicated the results were preliminary and may vary when additional data is processed. Other seismic monitoring agencies put the strength of the quake at between 5.0 and 5.1.
Between Tuesday afternoon and yesterday, five earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.8 and 4.1 were recorded northeast of Barbados by the SRC, but went widely unnoticed by residents.
For mor: http://www.stlucianewsonline.com/caribbean-strong-earthquake-rocks-trinidad/#sthash.6WWBxs4w.dpuf
Cayman Islands Caledonian bank creditors will receive 90% of their funds
On September 4th the official liquidators of Caledonian Bank in the Cayman Islands indicated to creditors they should receive back between 89.5 cents and 94 cents on the dollar.
Last February the bank was put into liquidation after the SEC charged Caledonian Bank and its brokerage arm Caledonian Securities with securities law violations. As a result a US court froze all of its US assets.
UK Nightclub sparks outrage after rejecting black jobseeker saying they ‘need less Afro-Caribbean staff’
By James Cartledge From Daily Mirror UK
The venue, Bambu in Birmingham, has been forced to apologise for their response to a prospective application from a woman called Leeta Lee
IMAGE: Bambu nightclub in Birmingham UK
Ms Lee sent the club a message via Facebook saying: “Hey, I was just wondering if you have any part-time jobs available?”
The reply on the venue’s Facebook account was: “Yes but we need less Afro Caribbean staff. Many thanks.”
The message was spotted by a string of other Facebook users who contacted the Birmingham Mail to express their disgust.
A later post on the club’s account apologised to Ms Lee and blamed an unidentified former worker.
The club said: “First and foremost we’d like to apologise to Leeta Lee for the very inappropriate reply she received to a vacancy request.
“We have stringent procedures in place with regards to our social media accounts and passwords associated to these.
For more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/nightclub-sparks-outrage-after-rejecting-6415430
Cayman Islands Seventh-Day Adventists announce Forth Quadrennial Session
OFFICIAL NOTICE
of the Forth Quadrennial Session of the
Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Notice is hereby given that the Forth Quadrennial Session of the Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists will be held at the George Town Seventh-day Adventist Church, Smith Road, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands during December 9 – 10, 2015.
Registration for all delegates will begin at 12:00 p.m. and continue until 5:00 p.m. on December 9. The first meeting of the business session will be called to order at 6:00 p.m.
The Conference Session is called to:
Receive reports from the officers and departmental directors.
Elect officers and departmental directors to serve for the next four-year term.
Elect the executive committee for the Cayman Islands Conference.
Transact other business as may be properly placed before the delegates.
All duly appointed delegates are invited to be present at this Conference Session.
Office of the Secretariat
New York Governor Cuomo pledges healthcare help to Puerto Rico
From Caribbean Digital Network
SAN JUAN (Reuters) – Puerto Rico, whose leaders have complained of unequal federal treatment on healthcare, may get some help from the state with the most Puerto Rican citizens outside the island itself – New York.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo visited the U.S. commonwealth on Tuesday, presenting a plan to assist Puerto Rico in seeking federal investment to overhaul its healthcare system, and to pressure the U.S. government to change healthcare funding formulas.
As Puerto Rico struggles under $72 billion in debt, its fate has become a talking point for many U.S. politicians, especially in New York and Florida, which have high Puerto Rican voting constituencies.
Cuomo, who led a delegation of New York leaders to the Caribbean island, said in a Tuesday statement the trip was “about fighting to achieve fairness and parity for Puerto Rico,” whose 3.5 million residents are ineligible for the federal health insurance exchange, even as insurers on the island pay $1.85 million a year in Affordable Care Act taxes.
Leaders in New York, home to more than 1 million Puerto Ricans, will pressure federal officials to change funding formulas and to replenish the island’s healthcare block grant, Cuomo said.
New York Department of Health officials will help Puerto Rico form a plan to transform its healthcare delivery system, as New York did in 2011, as part of an application to the federal government for money to help with the overhaul, Cuomo added.
Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla, who invited Cuomo to the island’s capital, San Juan, said in the statement, “The fiscal sustainability of Puerto Rico depends in no small part on Washington providing equitable healthcare treatment.”
Healthcare represents some 20 percent of a Puerto Rican economy saddled with $72 billion in debt.
Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio visited Puerto Rico on Friday, with Clinton, a Democrat, addressing a healthcare panel and citing the “unfortunate legacy of inconsistent” and “inequitable treatment of healthcare” on the island.
New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Puerto Rican and a member of Cuomo’s delegation, said she believes the New York governor’s plan is politically attainable.
In an interview on Tuesday, she cited the high Puerto Rican population in Florida, a key battleground state in next year’s presidential election.
“If the president can make this a priority, if we can get this discussed in budgeting debates – we just have to be united.”
(Reporting by Nick Brown; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Caribbean leaders congratulate newly elected President of TT
From Presna Latino
Port-of-Spain, Sep 9 (Prensa Latina) Several Caribbean leaders congratulated today Keith Rowley and his People”s National Movement (PNM) for winning the elections in Trinidad and Tobago, and wished him success in the next five years in office.
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Kenny Anthony, expressed his willingness to work with the new counterpart to defend the causes of the region and deepen bilateral relations.
Likewise, Foreign Minister of the Bahamas, Fred Mitchell, expressed the willingness of his Government to cooperate with Rowley on matters of mutual interest, while the president of Granada, Keith Mitchell, praised him by sending a message of unity when he met his victory in Trinidad and Tobago.
In turn, the Barbadian prime minister and temporal leader of the Caribbean Community, Freundel Stuart, welcome the new leader to the block, invited him to participate in the upcoming regional and international events, and wished him a successful management.
Jamaican Portia Simpson Miller also greeted the victory of Rowley and the Trinidadian people for exercising their voting peacefully and civilly on the 7th.
For more: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4143291&Itemid=1
We need your help to end slavery in Mauritania
From Walk Free.ORG
When Moulkheir Mint Yarba came back from a day of tending her master’s goats under the harsh glare of the Saharan Desert, she found something inconceivable: her tiny baby daughter had been left outdoors to die. Her master wanted to punish her, saying she would work faster without the child to tend to.1
It’s like something from another era, right?
Sadly stories like this are all too common across Mauritania, a country where slavery remains entrenched in society, and its prevalence is perpetuated by hereditary or chattel slavery – a system where slave status is inherited from generation to generation and is deeply rooted in social castes and wider societal pressures.2
But there is cause for hope. There are a growing number of anti-slavery activists in Mauritania who are working hard to help women like Moulkheir, and to eradicate slavery in Mauritania. The government’s response is to crack down on them, imprisoning them under trumped-up charges. 3
That’s where we come in. We can turn this into an international outcry so that the Mauritanian government can no longer silence anti-slavery activists, and can no longer ignore the problem of slavery that has been disregarded for so long.
Call on the Mauritanian authorities to release anti-slavery activists today.
In solidarity,
Victoria, Alex, Sonia and the rest of the Walk Free team
1 http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2012/03/world/mauritania.slaverys.last.stronghold/
2 http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/mauritania/
Customs agents take to sky in hunt for boats, mini-subs sneaking cocaine through Caribbean
From Fox News
ABOVE THE CARIBBEAN SEA – The eastern Pacific Ocean remains the most popular route for cocaine smuggling, but the Caribbean is again becoming a popular option — decades after U.S. authorities all but shut down cocaine smuggling into South Florida.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that smugglers have increased shipments of cocaine through the Caribbean from about 60 tons to about 100 tons in the past several years.
It’s difficult to measure how much cocaine gets through the dragnet of surveillance planes, U.S. Coast Guard ships and other detection efforts.
Since about 2002, the DEA and other American agencies have run interdiction efforts that led to the seizure or destruction of more than 200 tons of cocaine.
Yet the agency says its intelligence suggests drug flows through the Caribbean are on the rise.
For more and video go to: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/09/10/customs-agents-take-to-sky-in-hunt-for-boats-mini-subs-sneaking-cocaine-through/
Caribbean Tourism Organization announces Relief Fund to assist Dominica
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is seeking donations for its CTO Relief Fund to provide monetary assistance to the people of Dominica following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, which dumped 12 inches of rain on the island on Thursday August 27, causing extensive flooding which killed over 30 people and caused over US$200 million in damage.
Dominica is a member of the CTO whose Relief Fund provides support for member countries impacted by natural disasters. The CTO is enlisting the help of governments and individuals across the Region along with supporters from around the world, to mobilize and encourage assistance for the Government and People of Dominica. The CTO is using all of its offices to facilitate the process.
“The time to help Dominica is now. In other times of need, the Caribbean as a Region has generously come together to provide assistance to those devastated by natural disasters, and we are confident that this spirit of generosity will be evident once again,” said Hugh Riley, Secretary General of the CTO. Cheques payable to Caribbean Tourism Organization Relief can be mailed to the London office at 22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1BP, UK, or to the Barbados office at Ground Floor, Baobab Tower, Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados, BB22026, payable to Caribbean Tourism Organization. In the US, cheques payable to the CTO Relief Fund may be mailed to 80 Broad Street, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10004. Contributions to the CTO Relief Fund in the US are not tax deductible.
Persons wishing to make electronic transfers can please contact the Barbados, UK or US offices to acquire banking details.
The CTO is also working with a civic group in the US, the Association of Dominicans in the Northeast, (www.adne-us.org) a registered charity based in New Jersey, to mobilize Dominicans, collect relief items and raise funds for the effort. The group is hosting a number of events, the entire proceeds of which will go to the relief effort.
The CTO Relief Fund has been utilized to assist member countries on several occasions in the past, including Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and Grenada following Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Vlog voice from the field: What’s behind the new push for Caribbean PPPs?
By Brian Samuel From the World Bank
Last week, the PPP Blog introduced readers to the new Caribbean Regional Support Facility, which is preparing to launch a series of boot camp-style workshops to increase technical capacity among Caribbean government officials and achieve long-sought results.
In our first video blog from the field, Brian Samuel, a PPP Coordinator with the Caribbean Development Bank (and a former IFC staffer), explains why Caribbean public-private partnerships (PPPs) need this boost and how the PPP boot camp can transform talk into action.
To view video: http://blogs.worldbank.org/ppps/vlog-voice-field-whats-behind-new-push-caribbean-ppps
Government Of Antigua And Barbuda Strengthening The Private Sector Participation In The Caricom Single Market And Economy General Procurement Notice
From Caribbean Development Bank
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB) has received financing by way of a grant from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) pursuant to the CARIFORUM-EU CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Standby Facility for Capacity Building under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) in an amount not exceeding the equivalent of two hundred and seventy-five thousand, six hundred and two United States dollars (USD275,602) towards the cost of Strengthening the Private Sector Participation in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy Project. The Grant will be administered by the CDB, and GOAB intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this Grant to eligible payments under contracts procured under this project.
Payments by CDB will be made only at the request of GOAB and upon approval by CDB, and will be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Financing Agreement. The Financing Agreement prohibits withdrawal from the financing account for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of CDB, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. No party other than GOAB shall derive any rights from the Financing Agreement or have any claim to the proceeds of the Financing.
The following consultancy assignments will be procured under the project:
(a) Consultancy services for Business Development (Arts and Craft).
(b) Consultancy services for Business Development (Agro-processing).
(c) Consultancy services for a Project Coordinator (Local)
It is expected that these will be procured during the period September 1, 2015 to February 28, 2017.
Consultants from Antigua and Barbuda and other member countries of CDB, as well as EU Member Countries, which are not CDB Member Countries, and other countries which are eligible under EU procurement provisions,[1] will be eligible to participate in these procurement opportunities.
The Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Industry, Sports and National Festivals is the Implementing Agency for the project. Further details of the project can be obtained by contacting the address below.
Ms. Michelle Joseph
Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Industry, Sports and National Festivals
Friars Hill Road
St. Johns
ANTIGUA
Telephone: +(268) 462-1628 / 1532
Email: [email protected]
[1]External action financial instruments and European Development Fund, Rules on participation in procurement procedures and grants, a2a_ecprogrammes_eligibility2014_2020_en.doc, page 7 of 11.
Good news for big yacht owners: the Hulk spotted in the Caribbean
By Georgina Terry From ybw.com
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And he’s flexing his muscles…
The Hulk image: http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2015/09/IMG_4597-600×400.jpg
Don’t make the Hulk angry. You won’t like him when he’s angry.
You will, however, like the lifting capacity of the Hulk, also known as the Clarkes Court boatyard and marina travel lift.
Last week, the newly installed lift showed its prowess by lifting its first mega-yacht, the custom 2010 built Monte Fino Motor Yacht Picnic weighting in at 154tons.
And that’s practically a featherweight to the Hulk: it has a lifting capacity of 242 tons.
The installation of the Hulk is great news for big boat owners hoping to travel to Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique as Clarkes boatyard is now a position to accommodate these types of vessels.
The increase of yachts to the island should also result in an increase in employment in the yachting sector in the area.
And nobody should be angry about that.
UK: Roof rips off double-decker bus during crash, 17 injured
By Blathnaid Healy UK from Mashable
IMAGE: A photo taken at the scene. Image: Alexandra Rucki
LONDON — A double-decker bus crashed into a railway bridge in Rochdale, near Manchester, on Wednesday afternoon leaving a number of people injured, one seriously.
The entire roof section of the bus was ripped off, lying behind it on the ground, surrounded by broken glass.
Police said 17 people were injured in the incident. There were 25 passengers on the bus when the crash happened.
In a statement, the company that was operating the bus said the incident happened at around 12:30 p.m. BST.
“At this time our primary focus is to assist customers and staff involved. Staff from First in Manchester are providing support to the emergency services at the scene. We will provide whatever additional resources we can,” Teresa Broxton, managing director of First Manchester, said in the statement.
Passengers, local media and police tweeted photos and videos from the scene.
For more: http://mashable.com/2015/09/09/double-decker-bus-roof/#GWSXVtbc15kz
Coast Guard assists in $2.5 million drug bust in the Bahamas
From WESH
A Bahamian official offloads bales of marijuana in Nassau, Bahamas, Sept. 6, 2015. The contraband was seized during an interagency operation, Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, designed to combat drug smuggling to and from the Bahamas.U.S.
MIAMI —More than 2,800 pounds of marijuana was seized during an interagency operation in the Bahamas over the weekend.
The estimated wholesale value of the marijuana is more than $2.5 million, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.
On three separate nights, U.S. Customs Border Protection Office of Air and Marine aircrews observed suspicious go-fast vessels transiting waters near Nassau, Bahamas. Surface and air assets were subsequently dispatched to pursue and apprehend the suspected smugglers.
In addition to the narcotics seized, two smuggling vessels and a vehicle were taken into custody, and a total of six suspects were arrested.
The seized go-fast vessels and contraband were eventually escorted to Nassau, Bahamas, for further processing.
The names of those arrested were not released.
The contraband was seized as part of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos — designed to combat drug smuggling to and from the Bahamas. The OPBAT task force is comprised of elements from the U.S. Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs Border Protection Office of Air and Marine (CBP-OAM) and the Bahamas Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), a division of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
For more: http://www.wesh.com/news/coast-guard-assists-in-25-million-drug-bust-in-the-bahamas/35178134
Jack Warner steps down as leader of party he created
Statement – The National Executive (NATEX) of the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) met last night at the office of the former Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, Caroni Savannah Road, Charlieville, along with the party’s 2015 General Election candidates.
Overwhelmingly, all the candidates who fought in the 2015 General Election attended the meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to the ILP as well as their commitment for the Party to continue to be a voice for the national community and an active force in the politics of Trinidad and Tobago, exercising vigilance on the public’s behalf.
Further, the National Executive was advised by the Political Leader, Mr Jack Warner, of his irrevocable decision to pass on the mantle of leadership of the party as part of the succession planning of the ILP. Mr Warner stated that the ILP must be a vehicle for the emergence of new political blood and talent, especially from the youth membership of the party.
To this end, the National Executive accepted Mr Warner’s irrevocable decision to step down from the post of Political Leader of the ILP in 30 days. Consequently the ILP membership will elect a new Political Leader on Saturday, October 10, 2015. All bona fide members of the ILP will be invited to participate in this election, both in terms of nomination of candidates for the position of Political Leader and in voting for the candidate of their choice.
Details of the availability of nomination documents, nomination deadline and the procedure and hours of voting will be announced shortly in accordance with the Constitution of the ILP.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jack Warner
Political Leader
Independent Liberal Party
Royal Caribbean to spend $100M on new Miami terminal
By Hannah Sampson The Miami Herald From Sun Sentinel
Will PortMiami finally land one of the world’s largest cruise ships?
A deal in the works between Miami-Dade County and Royal Caribbean Cruises appears to be smoothing the way.
The cruise operator, which has headquarters at PortMiami, plans to finance, design, build and operate a new cruise terminal in the northeast section of the port — spending more than $100 million and more than doubling its annual Miami cruise passengers to roughly 1.5 million.
CARIBBEAN: Trini family gets 418 years in jail in NY
By Trinidad Express From St Lucia News
IMAGE: Shane Ramsundar (left) is led into the courtroom for his sentencing. Shantel Ramsundar, 24, and mom Gomatee (r.) were found guilty of grand larceny, money laundering, criminal impersonation and other charges. Photos by Ellis Kaplan/ Source NY Daily News
TRINIDAD EXPRESS – A couple and their daughter, originally from Trinidad, have been jailed in the United States for a total of 418 years, for conning 19 Caribbean immigrants out of more than $1.8 million.
In a sentence handed down by a court in Queens, New York on Wednesday, Shane Ramsundar, 52, wife Gomatee, 48, and daughter Stantal, 23, were described by the judge as “the most despicable gang of criminals to ever sit in front of me.”
“You and I know that if you did this fraud and paraded and strutted around in front of your own people, in your own country, you probably would have all been hacked to death,” Holder told the family, which hails from Trinidad. “But not in this country. Now it’s your time to hear your return on your investment for your crime,” the judge said.
Shane Ramsundar received the maximum 235-year sentence. His wife was sentenced to 153 years and daughter 30 years.
The three were found guilty last November of grand larceny.
Prosecutors said that Shane Ramsundar told immigrants that he could get their names or terror watch lists, or prevent their deportation by getting then green cards.
Assistant District Attorney Catherine Kane said: “They stole from their own, people afraid of reporting to the police, terrified of being deported back to a place where they had no one to go home to”.
One of the victims was an immigrant suffering with multiple sclerosis who gave the family $43,000 after being told by the family of con artists that he was about to be deported.
Ramsundar also fooled immigrants into believing that he could get them cheap housing.
Prosecutors said that the family used some of the money to buy cars, expensive hand bags, a $2,700 Yorkie dog and go on shopping sprees.
