A 26-year-old Venezuelan tourist and clothing vendor was yesterday sentenced to 30 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to charges of illegal entry, and forgery.
Tamar Elizabeth Gomez was charged with three counts of forgery which state that between October 5 and December 2 at the Ogle International Airport, East Coast Demerara; she uttered to Lance Corporal James one Venezuelan passport numbered 017891677 containing a forged Republic of Guyana immigration stamp and a forged Republic of Guyana tourist visa dated October 5, 2010 purporting to show that she entered Guyana on October 5 knowing same to be false. Between October 5 and December 2 at Essequibo, she also entered Guyana at a port other than a port of entry and failed to present herself to an immigration officer.
The interpreter provided related that Gomez was sorry for her actions and was assuring the court that there would be no such recurrences.
Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry before whom the woman appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court told the interpreter to explain to the defendant that the charges carried jail time, enquiring whether she wanted to change her plea.
The interpreter after speaking with Gomez related back to the court that she wanted to maintain her guilty plea.
Prosecutor Stephen Telford told the court that on December 2, the defendant presented herself to the immigration officer at the Ogle Airport to board a flight to the North West District. The immigration officer after careful examination realized that the stamps and visas in the woman’s passport were forged.
She was later arrested and charged.
When asked by the magistrate the purpose for her visit to Guyana, the interpreter related that Gomez was here to tour the country and as a clothes vendor. The acting chief magistrate sentenced the defendant to 12 months imprisonment for the illegal entry charge together with a $30,000 fine. On the other charges, she was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment each which will run concurrently.
