Former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant Keyon King has once again pleaded guilty to armed robbery charges stemming from August’s $58 million Wallison Enterprise gold heist at Kitty and he blamed pressures to provide for his family for driving him to participate in the crimes.
King, who is due to be sentenced next month following the completion of a probation report, appeared virtually at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he changed his not guilty plea to guilty. Four charges were previously read to King, 32, and Delroy Jackson, 37, and Peon Lee, 35, when they appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. Jackson and Lee both worked as security guards at Wallison Enterprise.
It is alleged that the three men, while being armed with guns, robbed Francis Santos Lumes of $38 million in cash and 60 ounces of raw gold worth $20 million. They are also charged with robbing Lumes of a $140,000 gold chain, a $60,000 ring and $14,000 in cash.
Additionally, they are charged with robbing cashier Fernanda Carmichael of an iPhone, worth $350,000, and goldsmith William Batista Dasilva of a $60,000 phone. In August, an unrepresented King initially pleaded guilty to the first charge and denied the others, while his co-accused both pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Following an adjournment, King changed his plea.
However, when the matter was called again yesterday, the man confessed his guilt to the court. A remorseful King told the court that during the 15 years he has been a soldier, he had been denied a promotion and was even demoted. He said that he struggled to maintain his family and noted that he is the sole breadwinner. He said that he has tried to stay on a “straight and narrow” path in life but added that he was under tremendous pressure. For this reason, he did not think twice when he was told of the plans to commit the robbery.
He also pleaded for leniency and apologised to the persons that he caused pain. He said that he would apologize if he could see them in person. The man apologised to his family and the GDF. He is expected to return to court on November 5, when a probation report will be presented before a sentencing handed down.
Police said that the bandits entered the Wallison Enterprise compound under the pretense of going to sell gold. Once inside the building, they held two employees, the 20-year-old cashier and the 45-year-old goldsmith, at gunpoint and ordered them to the safe, which contained the valuables.
