Up to ten years for young armed robbers

PHILIPSBURG – The Court in First Instance sentenced four youngsters to prison sentences varying from 24 months to 10 years for their role in armed robberies and a home invasion whereby a resident was ill-treated and tied up. A fifth defendant got off with a wholly conditional youth detention sentence. The court sentenced all five defendants to repay the home invasion victim $13,000 in damages.

Brian Boodram (20) received the heaviest sentence of 10 years; Ashmore Deandre Hodge (18) and Delangio Rakeem Webster (21) were each sentenced to 9 years, while 20-year old Janry St. Ville’s sentence was limited to 24 months. The court was lenient for the youngest defendant who was just 16 when he got involved with the crimes. Instead of following the prosecutor’s demand for 18 months of youth detention (with 6 months suspended), the court gave the youngster another chance by making the 18 months wholly conditional. Because of his age, stmaartennews.com protects the identity of this defendant.

Boodram, Webster and Hodge were involved in the home invasion that took place on December 7, 2016, at the Agate Road in Pelican Key. The robbers tied up the resident with electrical wire, rammed a cloth in his mouth and hit him with a gun on his head. The robbers also put the gun to the man’s head, demanding that he give them the pass code for his bank cards. The frightened victim gave them the correct code for one card, and a false one for a second card.

The robbers also fled with the victim’s car, but it soon came to a halt against a wall because the driver appeared unable to manage the vehicle. The robbers stole cash, electronics, laptops and phones; the pinned seven times small amounts with one bank card.

The court found Boodram furthermore guilty of the home invasion, robbing the resident of his freedom by tying him up), stealing money with his bankcard, an armed robbery at the Fai Wong restaurant on January 27, 2017, a robbery of two tourists near the Buccaneer Bar on January 27, 2017 and firearm possession.

The court notes in its ruling that Boodram does not take responsibility for his actions.

The court acquitted Delangio Webster of armed robberies at the Yang Yang and Wah Yun supermarkets, but found him guilty of robbing the Fai Wong restaurant. The same applies to his co-defendant Ashmore Hodge.

The court sentenced Janry St. Ville as an accomplish in the robbery at the Fai Wong restaurant, where he was the driver of the getaway car.

The youngest defendant was involved in the home invasion, the court ruled, but his role was smaller than those of the other robbers. He took away money from the home in Pelican Key, but he was, according to the court, not aware that the others carried firearms. The court also acquitted him of robbing the resident of his freedom.

“He was on the threshold of becoming a criminal,’ the court wrote in its considerations. “However, while his detention was suspended he found a job and he is also in the process of obtaining his diploma. There is still a chance that the defendant will keep to the straight and narrow. He has a strong family network, loves working and he does well in school.”

For these reasons the court found grounds to impose only a conditional sentence combined with 200 hours of community service.