Originally, Luis Ramon Sprauve denied giving two suitcases containing $2 million to a customs officer at the Terrance B. Lettsome Airport on Aug. 7, 2011. He told officers in a police interview that he hadn’t even been at the airport that morning, according to prosecutors.
But Mr. Sprauve, 41, changed his story Tuesday morning when he pleaded guilty to assisting another to retain the proceeds of criminal conduct.
According to the allegations, a private jet arrived in the territory from Venezuela on Aug. 6, 2011. The following day, Mr. Sprauve, between 6:50 and 7:15 a.m., drove a white Chevrolet that he rented from Aaron’s Car Rental to the airport, Senior Crown Counsel Valston Graham told the court.
“While he was parked outside of the airport he was observed on the [closed-circuit] television recordings on his cell phone,” Mr. Graham said Tuesday. “At that point he reversed the car and parked outside of the arrival [gate].”
After parking the car, Mr. Sprauve removed two suitcases, which he allegedly delivered to customs officer Linda Todman-Huggins.
The bags were subsequently taken to the private aircraft that had arrived from Venezuela a day earlier, according to Mr. Graham.
“The bags contained approximately $2 million,” he said, “which, according to investigators, represented the proceeds of criminal conduct.”
See the Dec. 12, 2013 edition for full coverage.
