Belize City man guilty of handling stolen goods

In court, Belize City resident, Vicente Vernon, was found guilty and sentenced in absentia for handling stolen goods. Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith imposed a fine of three thousand dollars and ordered his immediate arrest.  Vernon was found guilty of handling a stolen laptop valued at two thousand dollars along with a computer bag belonging to his old primary school mate, Peter Cuellar.  Vernon was linked to the stolen laptop after Cuellar spotted the computer being advertised for sale on Facebook. A sting operation led police to Vernon when he appeared on Albert Street to conduct the transaction.  Cuellar, who testified in the trial when it began back in late 2014, told the court that on December seventh, 2014, he set up an appointment with a person who had the laptop on sale and that’s when police moved in on Vernon. The laptop was stolen on November 2013 from Cuellar’s car in the area of the Swing Bridge.