A high-profile drug trafficking case that has stretched over a decade has concluded this week in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with a 40-year-old fugitive receiving a substantial custodial sentence after evading justice for 10 years. The defendant, Rajiv Deshong, who will turn 41 in August, was found guilty by a nine-member jury on two counts: possession of 2,008 pounds (approximately 911,146 grams) of cannabis with intent to supply, and trafficking of the same massive volume of the controlled substance.
The roots of the case stretch back to February 2014, when a joint enforcement operation by SVG’s Coast Guard and Drug Squad intercepted a high-speed “go-fast” vessel off the coast of Chateaubelair. The craft carried six men, including Deshong, and enforcement officers were forced to disable the boat’s engines after the occupants refused to comply with orders to halt.
Four of Deshong’s co-defendants in the case — Daniele Baptiste, Calvert Prince, Ezekiel Robin, and Denzil Sam — were convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 11 to 17 years back in 2017, and all have now completed their sentences. A fifth co-accused, sea captain Godfrey Cumberbatch, was fatally shot at his Glen home in June 2014, just one week ahead of a scheduled court hearing in the case. Deshong, for his part, absconded from SVG while out on bail awaiting trial shortly after the 2014 interception.
After fleeing the country, Deshong was arrested and convicted on separate drug charges in France, where he served a 10-year prison sentence. He was deported back to St. Vincent and the Grenadines following the completion of his French sentence, allowing local authorities to finally prosecute him for the 2014 offences.
During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing at the Kingstown High Court, Justice Rickie Burnett explained that sentencing was guided by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s binding guidelines for drug offences, which can only be departed from in extraordinary circumstances to serve the interests of justice. The court weighed four core sentencing aims: retribution, deterrence, crime prevention, and rehabilitation.
A social inquiry into Deshong’s background painted a mixed portrait. The defendant completed only up to Form 4 of secondary school, has diabetes requiring ongoing medication, and holds trade skills in automotive repair and commercial agriculture. Community members and family described Deshong as calm, easy-going, and a highly capable farmer, and noted he has one dependent daughter who relies on him. Despite the jury’s guilty verdict, Deshong continues to maintain his innocence. Prior to the 2014 offence, Deshong had a history of migration: he moved to Canada in 2009, returned to SVG in 2012, migrated to Guadeloupe in 2013, and returned again to SVG before fleeing for good in 2014.
Evidence was presented to the court regarding the ability of His Majesty’s Prison to accommodate Deshong’s diabetes, a non-communicable disease. Witness testimony was heard from two current inmates and acting prison Superintendent Dwayne Bailey, who outlined the existing protocols for medication access, dietary accommodation, and general patient care for incarcerated people with chronic conditions. After reviewing all testimony, Justice Burnett confirmed the court was satisfied that the prison system is able to provide adequate care for Deshong.
In calculating the sentence for the possession charge, Justice Burnett noted Deshong stated he had little awareness of the full scale of the trafficking operation and held no senior position in the criminal network. The maximum penalty for this offence is 25 years imprisonment and a EC$5 million fine, and the court set an initial starting sentence of eight years and nine months. Aggravating factors — including the attempt to evade capture by forcing a coast guard chase, the large volume of drugs (worth an estimated EC$1 million or more), Deshong’s prior drug conviction in France, and his 10 years as a fugitive that delayed the trial — led the court to add four additional years to the sentence. After deducting the 12 months and 10 days Deshong has already spent on remand, the adjusted sentence for possession was 11 years, eight months and 20 days.
For the second charge of drug trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, the court set a starting point of 10 years and six months. The same aggravating factors prompted a four-year increase, bringing the total to 14 years and six months. After deducting remand time, the adjusted trafficking sentence came to 13 years, five months and 20 days. Justice Burnett ruled that the two sentences will run concurrently, meaning Deshong will serve the longer of the two terms behind bars.