Two men jailed over illegal automatic guns and drugs
(CNS): Two local men in unrelated cases were jailed this week after admitting to possession of illegal guns modified into automatic weapons and significant quantities of drugs. Jay Calvert Ebanks (31), a local boat captain from Savannah, was given eight years and nine months for possession of a gun converted from a semi-automatic to a fully automatic pistol. Mitchell Chean Ebanks (55) from West Bay was handed a nine-year term for possession of a 9mm submachine with an auto sear that converted it into an automatic weapon.
In the first case, police found the unlicensed gun, ammunition and more than ten ounces of cocaine in Jay Ebanks’ vehicle during a traffic stop. As she handed down the sentence, Justice Carter noted that Ebanks was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2020 and requires regular medical infusions to control the degenerative disease.
Starting at 14 years, the judge reduced the sentence to nine years for his guilty pleas and shaved off more time to account for the increased difficulties he will now face behind bars given his serious medical condition, arriving at an overall sentence of eight years and nine months.
Mitchell Ebanks was charged after police raided his West Bay home earlier this year and found the unlicensed firearm in a backpack and more than eleven ounces of cocaine in the man’s closet. Ebanks claimed he had found the bag on the beach in East End.
As a drug user, he had decided to take it home but had been unsure what to do with what was described in court as a ghost gun with no serial number, the sear, a high capacity magazine and ammunition that was also in the bag.
Ebanks, who has a long rap sheet mainly relating to drug offences, pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. As a result, he was given the full discount of one-third for his guilty pleas on the mandatory minimum for the possession of an illegal gun. However, that seven years was increased by the judge because of the drugs and high capacity magazines, leading to a total sentence of nine years.
Justice Cheryl Richards said that gun crime is the “scourge of the Caribbean, and the Cayman Islands have not escaped the trend”. She said that although the guns had no connection to any crimes, the mandatory minimum sentence set by the legislature was to send a message about the dangers of guns, as the dangerous weapon “could have gotten into very dangerous hands”.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Soon be out Baby! mama gots the Connections!
Spot on West lane the gun in the toilet tank totally remove any sense of justice and the livein Bahamian Fugitive reenforced my belief that those at the very top of government are totally corrupt and will protect those who hold their dirty and corrupt secrets!
An inquiry mind would like someone to update us on the final outcome of the Russian/Canadian/Cayman Work Permit Holder OR whatever status he claims to be, with the importation of the 3 guns he brought into the jurisdiction when he arrived at ORI Airport here in Grand Cayman.
Questions:
1. Were the guns returned OR have they permanently been confiscated by CBC?
2. Has the police investigated him as to the reason(s) why this man had the need to import a gun much less three of them?
3. Has the police followed up their investigation as to who may have assisted the man to ascertain a permit to import the three guns And what was the reason(s) given on the application that warranted the approve of said the application?
4. Has the loophole in our Laws been amended to prevent any future mess up like this particular case?
5. Has this man’s permit /status now been put in question and if bot, why not? * Persons have had their immigration status revoked for less situations than this one.
An update is due to the general public as we have not forgotten this case as some particular persons would like us to do so.
UPDATE PLEASE!
You have money in Cayman you can Buy Justice in Cayman!
The answer to question # 4 is “no”. I won’t be explaining what was missed with the attempted amendments, but there were significant omissions.
Longtime Family tradition however some did not inherit the same protection as the family patriarch has been afforded from the very top echelons of Gowerment my oh my ! What a mess amen!
FAFO.
Enjoy the next few years, idiots.
Did they do ballistics testing to see whether these guns have been used in previous shootings?
Maybe Jay can now stop shooting into people’s residences. POS
Impossible, guns and drugs are illegal, criminals obey the laws.
caymankind.