Three Brazilian nationals were jointly fined $360,000 or an alternative of one-month’s imprisonment, after they admitted to conspiring with others to alter Guyana immigration entry stamps in their passports and submitting same to an immigration officer.
The allegations against Desmond Francelino, 37, Jessica Francelino, 19 and Jouveneide Mendes Dos Santos 41, is that between August 25, 2012 and March 19, 2013, in Georgetown, with intent to defraud they conspired with persons or a person unknown to alter the date on Guyana immigration entry stamps in their Republic of Brazil passports, purporting to show that same was issued from the immigration office at Timehri.
It was also alleged that on March 9, at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, with intent to defraud they uttered to an immigration officer their Brazilian passports in favour of themselves with a forged date on the Guyana immigration stamp, purporting to show that the same was issued from the immigration office at Timehri.
The trio pleaded guilty to the charge when they were arraigned before Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Police Sergeant Vishnu Hunt told the court that the defendants are Brazilian nationals who travelled to Guyana on August 28, 2012 via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri and they were granted three months stay.
He said that the group travelled to the interior on March 19, 2013 and arrived at the Ogle Airport from that location where they presented themselves to an immigration officer. Hunt said that on checking their passports, the officer observed that the arrival stamps were altered to show November 25, 2012.
The manifest at the CJIA was checked and revealed that the defendants entered Guyana on August 25, 2012 and not November 25, 2012. They were arrested and charged.
The defendants told the court that they have no court matters in Guyana or Brazil. They also declined to speak about the offence for which they stand accused.
The three were each fined $60,000 on each charge or an alternative of one month imprisonment.
