A 42-year-old resident of New Montrose has received a three-year concurrent prison sentence after pleading guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, in a ruling that underscores judicial efforts to curb gun-related violence in the country.
Cordewell James, who told the court he had recently renounced his old life and committed himself to Christianity, faced two charges under the national Firearms Act: unlawful possession of a Taurus .38 Special revolver with an unidentifiable serial number, and possession of 10 live rounds of .38 ammunition without a valid license. The case was heard before Chief Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offences Court.
The timeline of the offence dates back to October 4, when a team of police officers including PC 206 Morgan carried out a warranted search of James’ home as part of a joint law enforcement operation. After James consented to the search and no contraband was found on his body, investigators moved to search his bedroom, where PC Morgan discovered a lidded plastic container on the floor. Underneath layers of clothing inside the container sat a thick black plastic bag, which held a black face mask printed with a red symbol. Wrapped inside the mask was the unlicensed silver revolver, loaded with six rounds, and a separate small plastic bag holding an additional five live rounds, alongside one spent shell casing.
When confronted by officers, James admitted he had forgotten the weapon was stored in his home. He told investigators he had recently changed his lifestyle, been baptized, and planned to dispose of the gun but had avoided turning it in out of fear of arrest. James declined to exercise his right to legal counsel after the right was read to him. A subsequent forensic examination by Station Sergeant Julian Cain confirmed the revolver was functional and all 11 recovered rounds were live, with the exception of the single spent casing.
During the sentencing hearing, James begged the court for leniency, asking to pay a fine rather than serve prison time. He shared that he felt deep embarrassment over the incident, noting that his own father had repeatedly reminded him to surrender the unlicensed weapon. Prosecutor Renwick Cato laid out the full details of the evidence recovered from James’ home for the court.
In handing down the sentence, Chief Magistrate John explained that penalties for firearms offenses have been stiffened in response to a rising tide of gun-related violence, including a high number of gun-linked homicides recorded in the country this year. John noted that the starting sentence for the crime was half of the 10-year maximum penalty allowed by law, a baseline adjusted to account for both aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The court factored in James’ prior firearm-related conviction and incarceration in Guyana as an aggravating element, while also acknowledging his genuine remorse, full cooperation with law enforcement, and early guilty plea. The guilty plea earned James a one-third sentence reduction, resulting in a 39-month prison term for the firearms charge, with a concurrent one-year sentence for the ammunition charge, which equals a total of three years of incarceration. The court ordered the unlicensed revolver and all ammunition seized be forfeited to the state.
Rejecting James’ last-minute appeal for a non-custodial sentence or a one-year term, John emphasized that the judiciary must deliver a clear deterrent message to deter widespread illegal gun possession. “We can’t just slap you on the wrist,” he told the defendant.