Jury finds man guilty of stealing $20K worth of items from NODS

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By Latrishka Thomas

A jury of 12 unanimously declared that Everton Waldron was guilty of larceny after he stole $20,000 in items from the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS).

A report was made about missing items on January 5, 2018, from the NODS warehouse, of which All Saints resident Dion Browne, and Waldron, of Bolans Village were in charge.

Waldron was the organisation’s driver who was given responsibility to assist with the warehouse, while Browne was the warehouse manager.

The police were contacted about the theft and later executed a search warrant on both of their properties and found a lot of items.

Waldron’s property, in particular, contained 100-pound bags of flour, sugar, diapers, baby wipes, tactical boots, sealed US aid and China aid boxes, shovels, mattocks, fans, a tent, which were valued at EC $20,205.79.

When the trial started earlier this week, NODS Director Philmore Mullin identified the items from photographs which he said were donated from various agencies.

Lawyer Lawrence Daniel argued that there were no stamps on the items that proved that the goods were from NODS.

Waldron also took the stand, testifying that his brother sent some of the items, such Colgate and a mattock, but then said that several of the items were given to him by Mullin.

But in his police statement, he said he had bought the items to sell at “Ben Dung”.

As Prosecutor Curtis Cornelius cross-examined the witness on the conflicting statements, he became emotional on the stand.

After a few hours of deliberation, the jury concluded that Waldron was guilty of larceny.

He will be sentenced on April 6.

Browne, who was also found guilty, was sentenced some time prior in the Magistrate’s Court, for stealing food and household items belonging to NODS, worth EC $3,105.20.

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