Citing the increasing frequency of gun crimes in the territory and the seriousness of the offence of having loaded prohibited firearms, Magistrate Tamia Richards sentenced Cordell O’Neal to seven years and 10 months in prison on Monday afternoon.
In January, Mr. O’Neal pleaded guilty to three charges: possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon, and possession of explosives.
The prohibited weapon charge — which resulted from a TEC-9 found in Mr. O’Neal’s mother’s home — carried the harshest sentence: 66 months, or five and a half years.
The charge for an unlicensed firearm, which came in connection to a Springfield Armoury pistol, brought a 24-month sentence, while the explosives charge for some 37 rounds of ammunition resulted in a four-month sentence.
Ms. Richards ordered the sentences to be served consecutively from the time of Mr. O’Neal’s arrest in October. He was arrested along with his mother, former at-large representative Irene Penn-O’Neal; his sister Zubida O’Neal; and another man, Shameek Grant.
While Mr. O’Neal has told police from the beginning that the firearms and ammunition were his, all four were charged by police. The other three pleaded not guilty and are facing trial.
See the March 19, 2015 edition for full coverage.