72-year-old confesses to smuggling 21 immigrants
Carwill Potter (centre, left) and Luc Eloi (centre, right).
A 72-year-old man has confessed to captaining a vessel that was used to smuggle 21 illegal immigrants into the British Virgin Islands last year.
Charged with illegal entry, and smuggling migrants is BVI native, Carwill Potter.
He pleaded guilty when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards on Friday.
“I did it to raise a few dollars and I get bust so I asking you to be lenient,” Potter told the magistrate.
What happened
It is reported that on August 12 last year, Anguillan authorities held and deported Potter who was wanted by BVI authorities.
Following his deportation to the BVI, local law enforcers kept him in custody on suspicion of the aforementioned offences.
The court heard that Potter subsequently participated in an identification parade.
During the ID parade, the illegal immigrants positively identified him as the boat captain who smuggled them on the island of Virgin Gorda last April.
He was subsequently charged.
The 72-year-old will be sentenced on April 20.
Meanwhile, another man of is also before the court in connection with the offence.
He has been identified Luc Eloi of Haiti. The Haitian is accused of being the co-captain in the smuggling operation.
However, he denied the accusations when he first appeared in court last year.
Eloi will go to trial when he returns to court in April.
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72??? Good Lord, have mercy on Him, but to leave those poor people stranded was an almighty sin…there is ALWAYS another way to make a dollar!
what has age got to d with this? man tried a little thing but paying big for it. [ he was only trying to help people who are risking lives for a better life from miery.inflicted on them. poo peopl easy on the man respect his ae health. like all of us must have lied ,stole little thing here and there[out of necessity[ not out of greed]unlike our politico/business men , pastors – ] none of us are exempt. when a little man thief a loaf of bread
they [police] catch them and waste tax payers money .charging people for seat belt violation, charging tourists for taking wrong turn] although there is no sign saying not to turn etc these police officers can’t use their discretion
Give him 72 months
… a treath to national security
This is sickening Carlwill. You are 72 years and acting like a dam teenager. You have being doing this to those poor people for — l— now…
“I did it to raise a few dollars and I get bust so I asking you to be lenient,” Potter told the magistrate.
WTF???? He should be given a suspended sentence for being so blunt and brave!!!
He —— for years!!!
He Bahn here so he entitled to do whatever the hell he wants to make a buck but now that he’s caught he asks the courts to be lenient …? No doubt the usual slap on the wrist as after all he’s local….
@ Entitlememt
I know you are being scacaustic about being LOCAL … authorities need to squeeze his balks and find out who the other players are .Its UNFAIR to these poor people trying to get in U S dropping them here ; carry them into USVI
Now headlines about 72 year old ———- and they wondering why them aint got nutten ; the cries of the poor and drowned souls will haunt their asses tillnthem crazy or dead
Lenient? For importing illegal immigrants who will have to be hidden and essentially enslaved to the VI? Who was ‘poor Mr. Potter’ bringing them to?
Please , give him 72 lashes as penalty.
With a Bull bud whip
Boy potter wat yo get yo self in to