Man in court 4 years after arrest

JENSEN LA VENDE

FOUR years after he was arrested with allegedly having in his possession US$693,000; along with a gun and ammunition, a 55-year-old man appeared in court on Monday charged with money laundering.

Derick “Fats” Beresford-Cooper was held in July 2014, when over half a million US dollars, along with a Tec-9 automatic gun and 75 rounds of ammunition, was allegedly found in a car he was in. He appeared in court then charged only for the gun and ammunition and was on $250,000 bail.

On Monday morning he appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle after surrendering to police when he learned a warrant had been issued for his arrest, following consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who advised that he should be charged with money laundering.

He was charged by WPC Rochelle Winchester of the Financial Intelligence Bureau. Beresford-Cooper, 55, who was represented by Ian Brooks, will reappear in court on June 25 after being granted $50,000 bail.

It is alleged that on July 26, 2014, Beresford-Cooper was stopped while driving during a police exercise on Nicholasville, San Juan. After searching the car police found the gun and ammunition in a suitcase in the back seat, with the cash beneath. Beresford-Cooper was then arrested and charged.