Crime
Four Dominican Poachers will go to Prison in Grand Turk
By Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Reporter
#TurksandCaicos, June 12, 2023 – Wilson Osvaldo, 26; Starlin Dominiquez Tinco, 26; Simon Lirion, 60 and Boliveor Te Jedor Ciprin, 47 are now serving time in the Turks and Caicos Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to poaching charges.
All four, were on June 7, 2023 sentenced to between six and eight months imprisonment, having pleaded guilty to offences under the Fisheries Ordinance.
They were arrested on May 4, 2023 in TCI waters and appeared before the Magistrate’s Court; at that time the four were remanded pending sentencing.
Ashwood Forbes, senior defense attorney represented the men, negotiating for each separately before Jolyon Hatmin, Chief Magistrate.
Forbes said, as for:- 26 year old Wilson Osvaldo, that he has no children and was unemployed in the Dominican Republic. He said the lack of a job drove him to fish, albeit illegally, in Turks and Caicos waters.
Mr. Forbes petition for lenience, calling for the Chief Magistrate not to impose a fine on his clients as they have no
Osvaldo, for the effort, was spared the fine and was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
Starlin Dominiquez Tinco, also 26 years old, is father to one child in the Dominican Republic. The fishing job was a form of ‘survival’ in order to take care of his family as Tinco is also unemployed. He will serve six months in prison.
Simon Lirion, a 60-year-old grandfather of four is the sole breadwinner for the family as the children’s mother was in a terrible motorbike accident which has made her an invalid, bound to a wheelchair chair for the rest of her life.
Lirion said , his wife is also not working.
The old man was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
The 47 year old, Bolivor De Jedor Ciprin was the Captain of the illegal exploit and is the only one of the four sentenced to eight months in TCI prison.
Ciprin is also reportedly very ill, according to his Attorney Ashwood Forbes. It was explained, the man is very sick; a stomach illness which has led to bleeding. Despite medical treatment, Ciprin, through his attorney says the sickness persists.
A request for a doctor’s visit was made for the man.
The learned Chief Magistrate before passing sentences told the four Dominicans that, these are very serious offences as it is a direct impact on TCI tourism and fishing industries which are the country’s leading sources of income.
He communicated that the Courts have to take poaching seriously and a term of incarceration, despite their motives for breaking TCI law, is necessary.
The men were charged with: attempting to use an unlicensed vessel for fishing; attempting to take marine products without a license and possession of spare guns.