ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – A magistrate has adjourned to Tuesday the case against a United States national arrested two days after being released from prison on guns and ammunition charges.
Jason James Grogg, 44, was intercepted at the Douglas Charles Airport on May 4 after paying the EC$25,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) fine for firearm and ammunition charges.
Media reports here said Grogg was traveling to Barbados for a meeting with officials at the US embassy in Bridgetown over his previous court appearance.
Grogg was fined EC$25,000 after pleading guilty plea to possession of one black and grey Glock 19 pistol, 15 live rounds of 9mm ammunition, and four Glock 19 magazines, each containing 15 rounds of ammunition, found at his home in Mahaut, west of here, on April 17 and 18, this year.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Sherma Dalrymple, told the court that the prosecution offered no further evidence on both complaints of trafficking against Grogg and his wife, Jennifer Elaine Grogg, and both complaints were struck off for Want of Prosecution.
But when he appeared in court on Monday, Grogg was slapped with eight charges by the Customs Department based on false declarations and fraudulent evasion of Customs duties.
However, Magistrate Michael Laudat, who heard the previous court matter against Grogg, said he would adjourn the case to Tuesday since he cannot attend the new charges.
Laudat said the question of bias would arise if he were to hear the new charges.
and then 