Photo: Curtis August, charged with handling stolen goods

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Nov. 14, 2022

Curtis August, 22, a resident of San Jose Palmar Village, Orange Walk District, has pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods after being found with guns that were stolen by robbers who broke into the home of the former Police Commissioner, Allen Whylie, in Lemonal Village, Belize District on Sunday, November 6. The former COMPOL was out of the country when the thieves entered his home, reportedly by prying open a metal door during a power outage, and stole four guns and ammunition.

August was arraigned on Friday, November 11, and was charged with two counts of handling stolen goods. He pleaded guilty to the charges, and was fined $1,500 plus $5 cost of court, which is to be paid by March 31, 2023; otherwise he will have to serve 6 months in prison.

“There was no accusation that my client himself conducted the burglary, but however, that he did admit to handling the stolen goods, and because of that he pleaded guilty. This was my client’s first offense. The fact that he assisted the police, he was very cooperative with the police – that at the earliest convenience he pleaded guilty to this matter, and therefore the court in its discretion granted a fine of $1,500 and failure to pay that fine within the time period will result in imprisonment of 6 months,” explained “OJ” Elrington, the attorney for August.

It has been reported that there were a total of five guns in Whylie’s home, and four of those—specifically a 12-gauge shotgun, a 16-gauge shotgun, a .22 rifle, and a 9-millimeter Sig Sauer pistol—were stolen by the burglars.

Three of the four guns and ammunition were recovered in Orange Walk, and the other was found in Lemonal.