Trini pleads guilty in Washington DC

Joseph, 33, formerly of Santa Cruz, was one of three Trinidadians extradited to Washington DC a couple of months ago for taking Maharaj hostage, an offence in the United States.

The other two who were extradited to the US were Winston Gittens, truck driver, and David Suchit.

Joseph pleaded guilty recently before Judge John D Bates in the US District Court for the District of Colombia to the charges of hostage-taking resulting in death, and conspiracy to commit hostage-taking resulting in death.

Maharaj, 62, a Trinidadian, who lived at Mount Vermont in New York, was in Trinidad visiting relatives when he was kidnapped on April 5, 2005 outside the Samaan Tree Bar in Aranjuez. A ransom of $3 million was demanded, but no money was ever paid. His whereabouts were unknown for months.

With the assistance of the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), local police officers dug up Maharaj’s remains in two containers in the Santa Cruz forest on January 8. Three soldiers are among 11 persons charged with Maharaj’s murder and the preliminary inquiry is underway before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court.

Seven persons were arrested in Trinidad after provisional warrants were issued by the United States. Although the kidnapping and eventual death of Maharaj took place on Trinidad soil, it is an offence in the US to kidnap/murder a US citizen.

Joseph was the first Trinidadian to be extradited. Gittens and Suchit followed some time later. Four others are resisting extradition and their hearing will take place on August 14 in Port-of-Spain. Joseph wasted no time in the US court and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Joseph faces life imprisonment for the offence. The United States has agreed not to seek the death penalty against Joseph. A sentencing date is yet to be fixed. Gittens and Suchit will appear in the Washington court this week.

In announcing the guilty plea, US Attorney Kenneth Wainstein praised the team of investigators who worked on this case, including Trinidadian policemen Corporals Wendell Lucas and Eric Parks, and the local office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.