The sentencing of Guyanese Gavin Waaldijk, who has pleaded guilty to attempting to import a large quantity of cocaine into the US, was rescheduled from May 7 to the week of May 26 as his lawyers attempt to secure a lighter sentence upon a claim of duress.
According to documents seen by this newspaper a meeting was to be held between the man’s lawyer and the prosecution to discuss a sentencing recommendation to the judge.
A letter to this effect was written to Judge Carol B. Amon who in turn adjourned the matter to a day later this month for sentencing. A letter written to the judge by state attorney, Benton Campbell indicated that the parties were to meet on April 30 to discuss Waaldijk’s sentencing submission but the man informed the marshal that he was sick and refused to make himself present at the meeting. As a result May 13 was set for the meeting and in the week of May 26 the judge may finally sentence the man.
Waaldijk had pleaded not guilty to the offence last year but since that time through his lawyers he has been attempting to convince the court that he was coerced into carrying the illegal substance.
In court documents late last month the man’s lawyers had indicated that a relative of his was brutally murdered reportedly because he was cooperating with lawmen following his arrest.
It was also claimed that the man attempted to import the illegal substance after being forced to do so by family members in Guyana, one of whom was Viola Weeks who was a bread vendor on Sheriff Street.
Weeks was murdered in neighbouring Suriname shortly after Waaldijk’s August 1 arrest and according to the court papers she was killed because he had cooperated with lawmen in the US.
The man has since told the court and his probation officer that two men who had accompanied a cousin of his to meet him had assaulted him with pistols.
The court documents, filed by the lawyers in their quest to have the man receive a sentence below the recommended sentencing guideline range, had said there was no question that the 24-year-old man transported a large quantity of cocaine into the US.
“There are, however, indications that Mr Waaldijk did so under duress or at the very least, strong persuasion by members of his family who live(d) in Guyana. Unfortunately, one of these family members, Viola Weeks was murdered in Suriname following his arrest. Indications are that this murder was related to Mr Waaldijk’s arrest at JFK airport, and his immediate cooperation after being taken into custody,” the court documents had stated.
It was revealed that information provided to law agents by the man resulted in them making numerous phone calls in an effort to broaden the investigation into the seizure of the cocaine at the airport.
On August 1 last year the man went to the US on a TravelSpan flight. On arrival in New York, where cargo and passengers are subject to inspection by US Customs officials, a narcotics-detecting dog alerted the authorities to a suitcase bearing his name. Customs and Border Patrol authorities found 31 brick-shaped objects, identified as cocaine, wrapped in plastic, which when weighed amounted to 35.078 kilogrammes.
When the US authorities found Waaldijk he had one piece of carry-on luggage and another suitcase with the corresponding tag.
