US man dodges jail, fined $30k for gun & ammo
(CNS): David Meadors (56), a US national who illegally imported a handgun and 240 rounds of ammunition into the Cayman Islands, has avoided the mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in jail for possession of an unlicensed firearm after the judge said he found there were exceptional circumstances. Meadors, who left the jurisdiction in 2018 while on bail for health reasons and has never returned, appeared via Zoom on Friday to hear his fate. Justice Roger Chapple said that, taking the circumstances of the offence and the offender together, there were grounds to waive the mandatory jail term, as he imposed a collection of fines and costs that totalled around CI$45,000.
When he arrived in Cayman Brac in 2016 to begin work on building a home on that island, Meadors brought a new Glock 9mm handgun in his checked luggage. Over a year later, the ammunition was found by customs officers in a shipping container among the materials imported for the house. On arrest he admitted having the handgun, saying it was for protection when at sea on his boat, and he was subsequently charged.
However, the case has dragged on for almost four years. Meadors initially denied importing the ammunition, claiming it was packed in the container in error. His decision to abscond also complicated the case. However, despite his absence Meadors has stayed in contact with his lawyer and the court. Last month he finally pleaded guilty to importing the bullets and the case was able to move to sentencing, even though Meadors still refused to return.
Several American nationals coming into Cayman on vacation have been charged after mistakenly importing stray bullets in their luggage and they have been subject to fines. But this is the first time where a property owner in Cayman who deliberately imported an unlicensed gun and a significant amount of ammunition has managed to dodge the mandatory jail time. It is also extremely rare for a court to find exceptional circumstances in any gun case and only a tiny number of offenders have evaded the full statutory term.
But in this case the judge, explaining why he was not imposing a custodial sentence, cited Meadors’ good character, despite his dishonesty and manipulation, which the judge put down to the sheer terror of the penalty he was facing. The judge described Meadors as a hard working man with an exemplary character until this incident.
Justice Chapple noted Meadors’ poor health, which he said would make a custodial sentence even more of a punishment for him and impose hardships on the prison service accommodating his medical needs. He said that the length of time the case has taken to be resolved, even though the judge said this was largely Meadors’ own fault, had also taken its toll on the man. The judge also found that his culpability in the offense was low, given that he was naive enough to think his US gun permit covered having possession of a weapon here.
The judge said he did not really believe Meadors’ claim that he had never checked the gun laws here or read the customs forms on his many trips to the Cayman Islands. However, he found that sending Meadors to prison would be arbitrary and disproportionate; it would also require complex extradition proceedings that could drag on for years and a “humane justice system should put an end to the case”.
After handing down the fines, the judge released the charge that the government had on his property, though there was some dispute over whether the government had ever successfully registered the charge on Meadors’ Brac land. His lawyer said that he would be selling the property to raise the money to pay the fines within six months. The court also ordered the seizure of the original surety that Meadors had left with the court of $25,000.
Meadors is not the first person in Cayman to face a firearms charge with a good record or poor health. In 2013 a CUC linesman was jailed for seven years for holding onto a gun he said he had found in the bush.
David Meadors doesn’t feel like he did anything wrong and would be happy to share his views personally with anyone that would be interested in hearing his side of the story. He can be reached at +1 954-234-9020
Justice is on display to Cayman and the world. When you are privileged all forces converge to excuse your criminal behaviour. It could be that you were naive, or unfortunate, even ignorant, but you are definitely not guilty, regardless of your complicity and the evidence. Your sentence now depends on whether it is appropriate – read that as convenient – and not on whether it is “appropriately just” in all the circumstances. Sad. Weak. Myopic.
Cayman government should seize the land, remove his name from the title, sell it and put the proceeds towards our schools.
Take the money for your schools from your woman beating leaders
The sentence handed down to him was far more harsh than with Sandra Hill. She has committed far more offenses and received something barely resembling a slap on the wrist. Him 45k her 3k. Has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the courts.
Reading this makes me sick
Makes me happy
I’m glad that our money isn’t going to be used to support him in prison when it could go towards things to benefit Caymanians. However, he should have had to forfeit his entire property plus the money he put up for bond. Also, he should be blacklisted from EVER returning!
GOOD CHARACTER ?!?!? What the F@#$ …after he absconded while on BAIL ????
If it was a Jamaican or a Honduran or a Generational Caymanian or even a Driftwood … no bail .. bust BECAUSE it’s a WHITE AMERICAN it,s fine … #NoJusticeUnlessWhite
Lol. Everyone gets bail except complete losers. This guy didn’t get jail because he’s American you dimwit; they won’t extradite anyone for a foreign crime that is legal in the US so a custodial sentence would have been as pointless as your post.
Agreed. The courts realized getting him back here wouldn’t happen. The fine is stiff, best they could do over such a long time.
Any travel on bail should be refused. We have too medical here and too many flee and never return.
Ahh yes the Cayman Islands where tourist and migrants alike can come and have more rights than the locals themselves.
Which Caymanian would have salt so do lenently. This is setting a precedent. Hope Caymanians will use this case in the future to avoid jail. Or they will have to change their pigmentation.
Your honourable speaker?
“Which Caymanian would have salt so do lenently.” – LOL
Try being less passive
This is so WRONG on all levels.
MONEY TALKS and THE BULLSHITTER WALKS.
Shame, Shame!!! SHAME!!!!!!!!
Fair and sensible result. He clearly made a simple error which is easy to understand.
He did not make a simple error. It was informed, willful and made in the knowledge of his probable ability to squirm out of any repurcussions. Stop defending a rich, arrogant, gutless individual.
The judge made the humane decision. Regardless of race or origin. This man had no criminal record and the crime had no victim. To put him away for likely a life sentence was never a humane outcome. Cayman has less severe punishment for stabbings and drunk drivers that have real victims. For those of you simple minded individuals hoping for the extreme prison sentence – perhaps you should look at the Carol Ann McNeill Skorupan matter. The poor woman killed herself becaue of the relentless prosecution. Cayman has blood on their hands already. Its about time a humane judgement was reached.
10:42am. Let a Caymanian go to the US and do what he Did. Would the legal system work so favourable in their favour? I don’t think so.
Was he ever a danger to the public? No
Was he a legal gun holder 300 miles away? Yes
Did he pack all his personal property into a shipping container and move? Yes
It was a simple mistake, unaware of a specific Cayman law
Ignorance is no excuse for law, if any one of us caymanians went to another country especially the US and broke the law simply out of ignorance the judge would have still dealt with the matter to the full extent according to law.
This just proves that corruption runs in the highest position on this small island and any Tom,Dick, Harry, Larry, Curly and Moe can just come here with big dollars and do what ever they want with out consequences, and that is what’s wrong with this place now.
What is good for the goose should be good for the gander.and people should take responsibility for their actions.
Just imagine if someone was to somehow get hold of his gun and ammo then it becomes a danger to the good people of cayman brac,or what if Mr meadors went insane and decided to start an active shooting scene over on the brac, well one’s thing for sure he had enough bullets with him to flatten the place,smh.
4:14am. Are you a lunatic? Who goes to another mans country to reside an doesn’t educate themselves about the laws of the land? He wasn’t a tourist .
You know this how ?? Seems like the judge, who had the facts, didn’t agree with you. Uninformed responses like yours, are just bias.
oh yes this makes sense. the man brought in a gun, then later a container with building materials that erroneously had a few hundred rounds of ammunition, and I guess to you it would be a total stretch of the imagination to think those rounds work perfectly for the gun he had. you’re confusing bias with common sense.
How do you accidentally put ammunition in a contained filled with building material? Did he really thing that screws came in a box labeled AMMUNITION? Dude you a really naive.
The court could have given him life but he will never serve a day in prison because the US will never extradite him regardless of his colour. Where were you all screaming racism at the Bush and Mack trials?
Why are you surprised Caymanians ??? the jail was built for US! Vote wisely On 14/5/2021 Cayman Justice ain’t blind towards Caymanians that’s for sure.
What would the point of a jail sentence have been? The US doesn’t extradite people for things that are legal there. All it would have done is put CIG on a collision course with the US which benefits absolutely no one.
To send a coherent message about seriousness of gun crimes to Americans, and let’s not for a minute think he didn’t already know these laws as he hid ammo in his building supply container. Cost would have been forfeiture of total value of property, not just the $25,000 he posted and absconded on, plus this paltry $5k. It is a joke. Our Traffic Court has handed down stiffer fines.
Guns here have been used for armed robbery,and gang vendettas, hence the harsh laws. I do not believe that Mr Meadows who according to the judge was a hard working man of exemplary character had either of these offences in mind. Can we say the same about all those jailed for gun possession – most were very unsavoury characters and needed to be behind bars for public safety.I don’t recall any complaints about those who were deemed so dangerous, they were shipped to the UK to complete their sentences.
Given these circumstances would the commenters on this article want to spend several hundred thousand dollars of taxpayer on a protracted extradition process plus several hundred thousand more on jailing him for 7 years?.
The judge in my opinion took the best practical course of action supported by his justifiable reasoning.
Don’t forget a number of Caymanians have been given the benefit of doubt in gun cases, where a gun has been found under the seat of a car when stopped by the police and found in a house when searched. Possession could not be proved but only Caymanians were involved.
This happens because the minimum sentence in the law is too harsh for many cases.
So many men at northward prison for many years no fines Caymanians Oh my god Please families start asking DPP question this is a slap in the face to the young men and women in prison really is this true.
Racism and contrived naivety waives mandatory jail sentences for white folk. Message received.
The mandatory sentence for gun possesion is a blunt weapon, imposed to try to fix a societal problem, in this case, the gangster culture prevalent among young Caymanian men. When someone outside that target group is charged, it benefits no one to impose the mandatory sentence. This is the raw truth. It has nothing to do with skin colour or nationality. 10 years at 70,000 a year would cost the Caymanian economy near a million dollars and for what?
Excellent point. They brush everyone with the same comb.
Um, not everything under this sun is racist, though it does appear that this was the wrong decision…
I refer you to McKeeva and Mack for the alternative argument
Corruption running wild in Cayman when one got plenty money, very sad
He was a legal gun permit holder 360 miles away, not some criminal scum bag doing armed robberies
So was the Las Vegas shooter, what’s your point dumbass.
Guns don’t kill people it’s the person behind the gun that can brake at any given time, thank God that this pos went back to his shithole and his gun taken away before he reached being senile.
Sleeze
Call him what you will. He is free and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it…
No exceptional circumstances were found in the Madison woman case?
The strange case of how lost luggage left a 68-year-old Madison woman facing potential prison time in the Cayman Islands has taken a double twist.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.jsonline.com/amp/3549455002
She dies by suicide after learning second trial planned.
THIS IS A JOKE? RIGHT………
It is a sad day for justice when an American can willfully come here and flaunt our laws. He should do his 7 years time in prison just like he deserves.
So can I get a gun to keep for defense? BTW I’m a black man. Would that make a difference?
Yup, you can if you can get the permit. There are a fair few licensed handguns in the Cayman Islands. I own a Glock 17 – I just can’t carry it in public.
It was sarcasm at its best bro. White man go free. Betcha if that was one of our local brown skin brothers his butt would have been in Northward way before the trial. BTW I don’t want a gun.
Legal gun owner in Florida. Not some Jamaican scum bag
Stfu you pos, at least jamaicans don’t become active shooters.
RU kidding?
No, they just rape, torture, murder and burn innocent defenceless women!
If the DPP doesn’t appeal they are crazy. This totally sends the wrong message to everyone. You may as well remove the “mandatory” sentencing…which is stupid anyway. But certainly if other poeple get thrown in jail for having a few rounds of ammunition, and not even a gun, then this guy getting off in this situation is quite disgusting.
DPP they will never appeal only if it was Cayman locals watch the few cases this year with locals how much time they will receive in prison NO FINES Prison!
Why is this so much surprise to the people Just chatter no action Cayman-kind Families Please seek answers to this.
Didn’t the DPP appeal the quarantine breach case of the white American woman? Or is she now a cayman local just so she fits the BS you say above. Fool!
If it’s one lesson that gets taught everyday in Cayman is the benefit of wealth. the regular Joe could never jump bail and the judge give him the benefit of the doubt about being in ‘terror’. Hate it or love it, I’m working hard and investing wisely to reach this level of wealth.
I will always associate The Cayman Islands with the place where visiting teenagers are jailed, to make an undue example of, and convicted for brutal attack criminal get suspended sentence.
You are right, there were no money to defend Skylar Mack and Vanjae Ramgeet, but plenty to defend the despicable individual.
Teenagers? Oh please.
No money to defend them? Seem to recall they had legal representation. Of course, bit difficult to defend against a clear and knowing breach of the rules.
Just because this guy skates doesn’t man they didn’t get what they deserved. He brought a handgun in, which endangers the public if it falls into the wrong hands. She broke quarantine – and if she had been infected, would have endangered the public and put everyone into lockdown again if there was an outbreak – the whole population, not just the people on the wrong end of a single firearm. So cry me a river. Crown should appeal this sentence too, just like they did Mack and Ramgeets.
I’m a USA citizen, Cayman Condo owner since 1986. Waiting to come back when appropriate (Phizer, 1’st shot earlier today actually).
But, he knew what he was doing. Yes, I’m glad that Cayman is not paying for his stay in prison, but he deserved to be locked up. This reduced sentence will send a sad message to others. I’m white… But this is white, USA, privilege pure and simple.
I hope Cayman takes his property and sells it or donates it for a nature preserve.
No one will disagree that this is a case of ‘Privilege’ but leave the WOKE racist color-bias BS out of it!
He likely got off because of his ‘network’ of connections & friends. Social networking rules the world we live in not skin color.
Which corner of Oz do you live in? I pray to you have not procreated. The last thing we need is racism deniers inculcating that tripe to another generation.
No doubt his privilege benefited him. He leveraged every advantage available to him to save his tail from jail and many of those advantages come from his nationality, net worth and network- all of which cannot be viewed separately and apart from his race.
You change his colour and nationality and the outcome will likely change.
Seconded
The White American men and women with guns live in fear and want to be at the ready to kill someone wherever they are, inside or outside their house, at the store, in class at the university (look up “campus carry”) etc. They represent the opposite of the open, welcoming, friendly, attitude of our inclusive community. The Americans who come to work and volunteer and make Cayman better for future generations are disgusted by the greedy ones coming here to consume precious lands and hardly able to share a smile with people who are different. Beware of the American empire.
You are an idiot
Actually we don’t live in fear, because we can defend ourselves.
Foreigners always gets eased up and Caymanians go to jail, sad
Always? Don’t be telling fibs, 5:15 pm.
Unless your in the lodge.
it’s always exceptional circumstances when it comes to the White elite and their money Cayman but we allowed it to happen to us ! different strokes for different folks is more palatable? You have and opportunity on the 14th of April 2021 to change things by removing this government who has SOME members who continue to perpetuate and even promote this terrible injustice against our own people right here in Cayman . This is going to be unfortunately one of the very last opportunity to do this Cayman. So use your vote very wisely on 14/5/2021 because they have always use theirs to create their own circumstances right here in Cayman. No sleepers, dreamers, beaters,haters,in our parliament
I would rather CIG get 45k than pay to house him in prison for 7 years.
CIG is greedy.
So what about the Cayman people!! Can we pay a fine to be free NO NO why am sure a lot of us locals can pay $45,000 to be free, but no this would be refuse! Go to Jail get a police record 178, inmates Northward, 13, at Fairbanks including Mental health No June report is being used only custodial sentence can GIG accept our funds too.
Seriously now! Is nobody going to face the consequences of their actions, whether quarantine breaches or gun imports?!!
It should not be a crime to own a defensive weapon.
It should also be a crime to get drunk and beat up a woman in a bar, unless of course you are a self important Caymanian.
Defend yourself from what exactly? A coconut tree?
No…he needed the guns to defend himself against those vicious soldier crabs on the Brac….Grand Court..you are sending the WRONG MESSAGE!!!!!
There is a registration process for sports shooters.
Easy search will lead you to a few cases where people were caught red handed in possession of guns but got not guilty verdicts.
April 2010- Not guilty verdicts in firearms trials
Feb 2013 Not guilty verdict directed in gun trial
Dec 2019 Judge suspect but unsure over guilt in gun case
and more..
Someone needs to challenge this foolish about a mandatory minimum sentence. Is it only a mandatory minimum for residents of the Cayman Islands?
No it’s for locals or those from the region, preferably of darker complexion. You know the guys the wannabe gangsters.
That’s why the law is in place.