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Apr 11, 2011

Bank manager/former queen and B.D.F. soldier charged for bank robbery

It appears that, as originally suspected, the robbery of a bank in Orange Walk Town was an inside job. Police say they now have enough evidence against the manager of Heritage Bank and four others for last Tuesday’s heist. Samantha Carlos, the manager who is also a former beauty queen, along with an unlikely ally, Ricky Valencia, who was one of the suspects in the shooting of Attorney Rodwell Williams, were paraded to court today. Valencia’s brother, a BDF soldier and two others were also arraigned for the robbery of over two hundred thousand dollars from the bank. When they appeared in court this morning, the defense team for Carlos and Harold Valencia was led by Attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley and included Marcel Cardona as well as Merlene Moody. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Since Heritage Bank Limited Orange’ Walk Bank was robbed on April Fifth, the cops have charged several persons this morning for the crime.  The bank manager, twenty six year old Samantha Carlos, thirty year old Noel Usher, a laborer of Belize City, thirty-one year old B.D.F. soldier Harold Valencia, and twenty-seven year old Ricky Valencia of Belize City were all charged for Conspiracy to Commit Robbery.

Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley

Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, Attorney

“I represent Samantha Carlos, who works at Heritage Bank which was robbed and Lance Corporal in the Belize Defense Force by the name of Harold Valencio. Other persons are charged; in fact, there is a single charge of conspiracy to commit the robbery for which we are currently making submissions—both sides the prosecution and ourselves—in relations to why they ought to be granted bail on that charge. An important point was urged on the magistrate in that the usual grounds for objecting to bail is that well we still di investigate so we need to lock them up dah prison at this time. But the point has been made and Merlene Moody and honorable Marcel Cardona are also involved on the defense. The point has been made that first of all in relations to Samantha Carlos who has worked at the bank for 5 years, is that there are about six or seven persons who are charged for conspiring to rob that bank. So we are making the point that it sounded a little funny; that if Miss Samantha is planning and plotting and conspiring to rob the bank where she works, she won’t get hooked up with five, six, seven persons to share the money, she can stay in there and work it out herself and perhaps find a way to get more than that. Or why rob the bank when it’s only two hundred thousand? Wait until there is eight hundred or nine hundred thousand or a million change if it’s inside. The second point is that ok, the robbery occurred on the fifth of April. She was free on the whole fifth of April, she visited her headquarters, she gave a full explanation, she was the one that sounded the alarm that in fact that bank had been robbed. She was free the following day, the Wednesday the sixth, the police decided that they would detain her on the seventh. So she was free for two days; if she wanted to go and hide anything or do anything, she already had the opportunity. So why come to the court now, one week almost afterwards, to ask the court to send her to prison because she may affect the investigation. The second point is that when you are conspiring with others to commit an offence—if you are—once the offence has been committed, the conspiracy is over. You can’t still di conspire to rob the bank. The Bank has been robbed.”

Ricky Valencia has also been charged for the shooting of Rodwell Williams, the Prime Minister’s law partner of Barrow and Williams. Valencia was also additionally charged today with Robbery.

Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley

“My client who is Harold Valencio is a lance corporal in the Belize Defense Force. The allegation is that he is related to another person who the police are of the view committed the robbery. Have the same last name, noh have nothing—he’s probably brother—when I came up today I understand they charged someone for the robbery. But there is nothing, at least not here in court, to say to the court—the reason why we are asking you not to give these people their freedom is because A had a bag or a mask or a gun or some of the money; there is no link between one or the other.”

Jose Sanchez

“There was some question brought up about two fifty dollars. Is that related to the bank?”

Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley

“No a separate person; not charged along with those who are charged for conspiracy. A separate person has been brought to court because there is some connection between herself and one of the other persons. And the charge is that she was handling stolen goods; specifically, twenty-two fifty dollars note and one, one hundred dollars note. But they are objecting that that person should get bail; that person has been locked down for almost a week. The objection to her getting bail is the same grounds—that they are still investigating and so she should be sent to prison. But our point is that there is no connection shown to the court to say well your honor the serial number on those notes have matched the serial number of notes that the bank has informed us was missing or was in the vault or somewhere. There is no connection.”

All defendants, the bank manager and the Valencia brothers, were marched back to the Orange Walk Police Formation after which they would be remanded to the prison. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

Some of the money has been recovered along with items believed to have been purchased with proceeds from the robbery.


Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

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19 Responses for “Bank manager/former queen and B.D.F. soldier charged for bank robbery”

  1. rod says:

    dickie you are surely nothing but slime you even the turn green you the look just like slime you are pitiful pitiful remember karma is a b.

  2. islander says:

    YEA grab all the city youths and send them to BDF training…then they will be productive citizens some fools say…. I have kept that no matter what once you are willing to thief you could be a bank manager and you will be a thief..

  3. belizeanpride says:

    what made me laugh more is what dickie trickie had to say about samantha having the least intention to robb the bank, come on dickie head what are the percentage you’re talking about, just look at the pastor who rob the old white man in santa elena ( scam ). being a pastor doesn’t means you can’t thief nor being a bank manager doesn’t leave with out the envy of thiefing, WTF are you thinking dickie.
    i thought you are smart to play tricks but this one is so lame excuse to bring on. hope they send them to jail but a case with no jury just the judge to avoid the results of freedom as previous cases.

  4. Do it right says:

    Dickie you are talking BS. A thief is a thief and it doesn’t matter if the bank had 200k or a million dollars. The girl is a crook and a disgusting person overall. She always doing illegal $#!% and trying to hustle so that she can impress her little girl friends. The robbery went down too smoothly and Samantha did not trip the alarm so Dickie is talking fool. Get your story straight before you talk Dickie. She did not give the robbers the marked notes which is a big lapse in procedure and did not trip the alarm. Then to top it off she was trying to pin the robbery on her fellow colleagues in the bank, causing the employee to get fired as well. The robbers robbed everyone in the bank except Samantha. I mean come. She deserves to go to jail.

  5. Ashley Zuniga says:

    disgusting?????? you want to know what is disgusting???? disgusting is a person like you you tend to judge people without knowing them. do you have any proof of what you are saying because words don’t mean nothing! show me the facts! with who she socializes is none of your concern for a person is free to socialize with anyone she pleases! well i got to say for Ms. Carlos is that i wish her the best and as the law states'” a person is INNOCENT until proven guilty! i believe that you are innocent and if i were you i would not be afraid to show myself in public. keep your head up high! i also applaud Dickie Bradley for doing an excellent job and i am sure that he will prove your innocence.

  6. daveyt says:

    lets just pray valencia stays in jail, and the prison Authorities make sure he enjoys the same creature comforts as the rest of the inmates – No cell phone, No TV/Cable etc. and he eats the same crap that they do too!

    But Tricky Dicky will get him out on bail again – unless someone takes him out before he can!!!!!

  7. Inglebert says:

    think guys you should have hold the money until x mas then start spending or even better take a loan out and payback after the money was washed lol lol lol.

  8. Natasha says:

    They are Guilty!!!!!

  9. shock says:

    Those folks who claim that there is no justic are the very ones who become Judge and Jury before they know all the facts about the crime that was commited. This brings up the question as how much can trial by jury be trusted when so many individuals come to guilty conclusion, as I said before: they know all the facts.

    Further, what happen to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law? Why should the court have the right to take away someone freedom on circumstantial evidence, when there is no compelling facts to substantiate the charge(s)? The human freedom is a precious gift from our Creator, and curtailing one’s freedom should not be taken lightly. Judges should be ever concious of what constitute freedom of the individual and should not allow themselves to get to that place in their job where by they are only going through the motion because of been on the Bench so long that they loose the human touch. Its human nature to get use to things, no matter what it is.

  10. BZNinCALI says:

    @daveyt, take out Dickie or Ricky? Per Dickie, “You can’t still di conspire to rob the bank. The Bank has been robbed.” Let’s not forget, anything they did after they committed the crime is considered a part of that crime including the cover up. Between six or seven of them, they didn’t have enough sense to keep from calling attention to themselves by blowing the money on crap. They should be locked up just for being stupid.

  11. Gustav says:

    From these comments, it appears Attorney Bradley’s reputation is well known. And it’s disgraceful.

  12. tired says:

    dickie you are going to hell… and there you shall rot for taking up for a homosexual and criminals. homosexuality is a no no and there are many in Belize. And the criminals are outnumbering that and dickie you are just like them… Maybe if you read the comments people leave on the net you would feel shame and try to change… That why people are killing cuz they know if they get dickie he will set them free. but dickie you shall see.

  13. ATTACK says:

    I want to know why is it that Marva Welch is locked up, when the money that they found on her is clearly not the money from the bank???This is pure !%$#ery…FREE MARVA WELCH

  14. shamelss says:

    Let the world say what they want to say.Only Allah can judge.al ila ha ill allah muhmmad arasul allha

  15. westernmermaid says:

    I WONDER WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THESE QUEENS, FIRST YOU HEAR A COROZAL QUEEN KILL A YOUNG WOMAN FOR HER BABY, NOW THIS ORANGE WALK QUEEN END UP ROBBING THE BANK!! WHO’S NEXT?? I BELIEVE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE CROWNS HMMM, WONDER IF THE CURSE REACH QUEEN ELIZABETH 11 WHAT CRIME WOULD SHE COMMIT???

    STRANGE, THESE DAYS PEOPLE ARE BEING POSSESSED BY EVIL SPIRITS, WOW, BE CAREFUL LADIES OF THE CROWN YOU WEAR, IT MAY BE CURSED!!!

  16. Elgin Martinez says:

    In Belize a person is not innocent until proven guilty.A person is innocent when reprisented by Dickie.

  17. shamelss says:

    way allah bles bze an the chaters

  18. renease says:

    I AGREE WITH ATTACK!!!!!!!!!
    FREE MARVA WELCH!!YOU DISGUSTAIN PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THIS WOMAN!!!!!!!!!FREE HER!! U SICK !!!!!!!!!!FREE MARVA WELCH!!! FREE MARVA WELCH!

  19. orangewakenia says:

    ok ppl ppl i’ve read and some ppl are jus rite and others jus lame… first of all how can we say something of someone we don’t even know…. for a fact samantha carlos should be in jail until….. she need dat money so badly dat gezzz she was dat stupid to loose her job her woman and every other thing… now she is behind bars and dis is how d saying goes don’t spit cuz it might jus drop in ur face…. i taught u were highly suffisticated as u once told me samy girl hahahaaa…. keep stealling………

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