By Samantha Simon
One of two men implicated in a massive theft from the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) in 2018 is seeking to be reinstated and compensated after successfully appealing his case.
Dion Browne and Everton Waldron were charged with stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of items.
Waldron was fined $10,000, while Browne was previously sentenced in the Magistrate’s Court after being found guilty of stealing $3,105.20 worth of food and household items in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
Waldron implicated Browne as his accomplice during the investigation, leading to Browne’s home being searched and food items amongst other goods being taken as evidence by the police.
These items had reportedly not been returned nor had Browne been compensated for the loss.
Browne proceeded to file an appeal to the charges of larceny and receiving stolen goods, which was heard on October 19 and it was ruled that he was not guilty of the charges formerly placed against him after it was deemed that there was inadequate evidence to support the charges.
This came as a relief to Browne as he and his family allegedly experienced social stigma at work and school due to the previous ruling that led to him being viewed as a criminal for the last five years.
His lawyer is now working to file for damages in the form of wages lost due to his termination and apparent inability to be employed for the last two years, as well as for the items he said were taken from his residence.
Browne further alleged that police, in their search of his home, attempted to remove items that belonged to his wife that she had been given as awards from her workplace.
His daughters are also said to have experienced distress due to their peers and colleagues making remarks towards them regarding the prior ruling of the court.
More than anything, Browne expressed relief at finally having his name cleared by the court so that his life could regain some normalcy.