Belmopan, Belize 21 January – U.S. national and alleged fugitive, William Russell Jewett Jr., has been in the news since Monday because he was found in Belize with a large bundle of cash.
Jewett was busted with over a hundred and twenty thousand dollars on his boat and slapped with charges from the F.I.U., Customs and Immigration.
But now, thirty-three year old Jewett is making serious allegations against the FIU.
Today he indicated to the court that he wanted to change his plea for Money Laundering from not guilty to guilty. But before the plea was taken, his attorneys, Dickie Bradley and Ellis Arnold, addressed the court both indicating that they were withdrawing from the case because Jewett rejected their legal advice.
According to Bradley, while remanded, Jewett had a visit from personnel of the U.S. Embassy and the F.I.U. and was allegedly threatened with eleven years in prison if he did not plead guilty. Bradley says that Jewett was also told that his wife will be charged and their two year old child would be placed in the custody of Social Services. This was confirmed by Jewett to freelance reporter, Anita Nembhard, via a telephone call from prison. The alleged threats apparently contributed to Jewett’s change of heart. Although Jewett is no longer his client, Bradley gave us details of what happened.
