Marine Police Unit base at Burt Point, Tortola. The sentencing for Tambu Frett, 37, of Little Dix Hill, East End, Tortola, was again postponed after the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Tiffany R. Scatliffe-Esprit indicated that investigations by the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) reveal that he may be a smuggling operative. Photo: VINO/File

Tambu Frett and Bryan D. Bolan were arrested for entering the Virgin Islands while the borders were closed and a curfew in place on Friday, April 3, 2020. Photo: VINO/File

Frett was charged with Illegal Entry, Breach of Curfew and Smuggling, all of which he pleaded guilty to on April 6, 2020.

The first sentencing hearing was postponed to allow him and his co-accused, Bryan D. Bolan, a US Virgin Islands (USVI) resident, to be quarantined due to the high number of Coronavirus cases in the USVI and the threat of possible contact sharing.

When the pair appeared before the court on Thursday, April 23, 2020, Scatliffe-Esprit said information on Frett’s cellphone “shows that before the incident Mr Frett has been in the habit of transporting persons between the BVI and the USVI without the proper protocols of immigration and customs.”

Hearing this, Senior Magistrate Tamia N. Richards said this information now hinders the process, and Frett would not be sentenced as planned.

She said the information "undermines" his attorney E. Leroy Jones’s mitigation that his client was helping out a friend.

“The Crown is now alleging that Mr Frett not only did it for pay, but he has a smuggling operation,” the Senior Magistrate stated.

Despite Jones’ argument that the court should deal with the matter at bar, stating that he was unaware of the issue, the court said the matter would be adjourned to facilitate both sides to face the issue as it would now serve as an aggravating factor in sentencing.  

Bolan did not speak to Frett

Scatliffe-Esprit said; however, that based on the information, Bolan did not communicate with Frett for him to be collected at St John and transported to Tortola.

She said the communication was between a local ‘unknown party’ and Frett.

It was then agreed that Bolan who was charged with Illegal Entry and Breach of Curfew be sentenced while Frett’s sentencing would be stalled until Thursday, April 30, 2020.

Bolan sentenced to prison

Meanwhile, Bolan was sentenced to 45 days in jail and fined $1000 for Breach of Curfew.

Failure to pay the fine will result in imprisonment of 2 months, to run consecutively to the 45 days sentence.

On the charge of Illegal Entry, Mr Bolan was sentenced to 8 months at Her Majesty’s Prison and fined $1000 with an alternative of 2 months imprisonment.

Frett and Bolan were found entering the Virgin Islands while the borders were closed and a curfew in place on Friday, April 3, 2020.