Four charged with burglary during riot are acquitted

Four men charged with burglary in connection with the April twentieth looting spree in downtown Belize City walked out of Magistrate’s Court free men Tuesday morning. Brent Gibson, Joel Bishop Jr., Charles Ramsey and Cordell Banks were apprehended by police inside Gaylord’s Store on King Street, but in court the store’s owner, Preeti Sadarangani offered a statement requesting no further action. Without a witness to say exactly what was taken by the defendants, it appears that the case would have been a tough one to prove. A fifth defendant, Justo Swazo, charged jointly with those now acquitted, had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to five years in prison.