Four Years Later, Reynaldo Verde is Deported to Belize
Former Deputy Director of the Belize Tax Service, Reynaldo Verde, has been deported to Belize after serving a stint in a U.S. prison. He had been locked up abroad since September 2019 when he was busted by F.B.I. officials at Dulles International Airport in Washington, following allegations of extortion. The senior public officer was returning from a conference in Belgium when he was taken into custody. It is reported that Verde attempted to obtain under duress three hundred and fifty thousand dollars from Chris Williams, the proprietor of Orchid Bay in Corozal. Williams claimed that Verde made several attempts to collect the money in order to wipe away taxes owed by the resort. A subsequent investigation led to a secret recording, as well as a sting operation in Corozal during which Verde, who was armed, met with Williams. This afternoon, attorney Michael Peyrefitte told reporters that he was retained by Verde to oversee his return to Belize.
Mike Peyrefitte
Mike Peyrefitte, Attorney-at-law
“He served his time and he came back to Belize today and so he’s once again a free man.”
Reporter
“Now, what are the circumstances of his return? We know that people who are deported, and I am not saying he was, but people who are deported have to check in with the police, etc…”
Mike Peyrefitte
“Well it is standard, standard procedure under the law that, you know, you go through these interviews with the police department as a courtesy mostly, but there is a deportation act and so that is what we had to do today and he’s fine. He’s at home with his family.”
Isani Cayetano
“I understand that a plea deal was met in 2021, correct?”
Mike Peyrefitte
“Well I ‘m not aware of any of the circumstances concerning the actual case in the U.S. All I know is that I was here to make sure that his rights were respected once he landed in Belize as a Belizean citizen. The details of the case itself in the U.S., I am not aware of those.”
Reporter
“What’s Mr. Verde’s state of mind?”
Mike Peyrefitte
“Well, I don’t know, that’s a question for him but from what I observed he’s glad to be home and he’s in good spirits and he’s glad to be home.”
Isani Cayetano
“Was he met by family and friends at the airport?”
Mike Peyrefitte
“Oh yeah, naturally, yes. I was there to meet him at the airport and he had his family there to meet him at the airport, yes.”
Verde applied for early retirement from the public service in January 2014. At the time, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight told News Five that Verde can expect a small pension from government when he turns fifty-five.
