Mexican pleads guilty to possession of unlicensed firearm

Jose Luis Robles Beltran

Mexican national Jose Luis Robles Beltran was nabbed inside the Corozal Free Zone in late February with more than the prescribed amount of money allowed by law. Robles was also found in possession of a loaded Beretta pistol with nine live rounds of ammunition.  He made the news then because his release was ordered even though he was facing firearm charges and he pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit notes. Robles, who claimed he was a soldier, was released but immediately re-apprehended. Tonight he is serving a two year sentence after pleading guilty to possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.  On February twenty-fifth Robles was discovered with twenty thousand, one hundred and fifty six U.S. dollars of which eighteen hundred were believed to be counterfeit notes.  He appeared before Magistrate Dorothy Flowers in the Corozal Magistrate Court accompanied by Senior Counsel Simean Sampson.  According to Sampson, Robles was inside the Commercial Free Zone conducting business when he was arrested.  During mitigation Sampson requested that the court fine Robles for the offense instead of imposing a prison sentence since he is not a known offender.  The Magistrate fined him two thousand five hundred dollars for possession of counterfeit currency, which was paid immediately but he was remanded to the Hattieville Prison after being found guilty of firearm and ammunition possession.  Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Vidal argued that Robles should have been serving a five year sentence instead because Magistrate Clive Lino erred in law when he imposed a lesser sentence.