Christopher Hyde is Fined for Being the Leader of a Gang

Christopher Hyde

While Christopher Hyde is free, he has a fine of five thousand dollars to pay for being the leader of a gang.  Hyde, of a West Street address, claims he is the leader of the Rocky Road Bloods Gang in Belize City.  But such charge can carry up to twenty-five thousand dollars so today Hyde begged the court for leniency when he appeared before Magistrate Emmerson Banner.   First, he pleaded guilty and when he was told he could also be sent to jail for five years, he changed his guilty plea to not guilty.  He also told the court that he has his mother, brother and sisters to care for.  Magistrate Banner explained to him that a jail time is not a mandatory sentence, but in law, he could go to jail.  So in considering his plea for mercy, he was told that a portion of the fine would be imposed and he will have to pay by the end of October.   Police say they have been doing surveillance in the Rocky Road area since April second, 2018, which led to the arrest of Hyde.  Several other members of the Rocky Road gang, including Brian Armstrong, who is a relative of Hyde, pleaded guilty several months ago for being a member of a gang and he was fined three thousand dollars.  Hyde has been slapped with the highest fine.