Gun possession suspect remains in jail

PHILIPSBURG – The Court in First Instance moved the trial against Kevin Chris L.B.to February 28 of next year. The 28-year old defendant is accused of firearm possession.

The public prosecutor said that police had found a Glock in the hands of the defendant and that it had fallen on the ground during a struggle in the process of his arrest.

L.B. had two previous convictions for firearm possession: 15 months conditional in 2014 and another 18 months conditional in 2016.

His attorney Brenda Brooks asked the court to terminate the pretrial detention. “A co-suspect has confessed that two of the three guns were his. Why is my client even sitting here?” she as asked.

The public prosecutor maintained that L.B. had a gun in his possession and that he also had a holster that went with that gun. “I foresee a sentence that is longer than his pretrial detention.” the prosecutor said.

The defendant remained unperturbed: “I had no gun,” he said. “I wasn’t even in the car where the guns were found.”

The judge rejected the request to release the defendant. “There are serious objections; there are indications that you had a gun and you also have a record for firearm possession.”