Cassell sentenced to three and a half years in Montserrat prison following conviction for concealing the proceeds of crime

Attorney-at-law Warren Cassell will spend the next three years and six months in a Montserrat prison, having being convicted for concealing the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Cassell was found guilty by a nine-member jury of his peers on Wednesday, June 22, in a Montserrat court presided over by Justice Stanley John.

At that time, he was remanded to prison to await sentencing today, June 23.

Cassell, a well-known attorney, was accused of committing the offence between January 1, 2007 and the November 4, 2008, in his native Montserrat, thereby contravening Section 33(1)(a) of the Proceeds of Crime Act, 1999, Cap 4.04.

According to the charge, Warren concealed or disguised property – namely the sum of $855,380.54. The money was transferred from investors into the bank account of Cassell & Lewis Incorporated for the sale of land at Providence Estate, St. Peter’s.

It was alleged that the monies were “in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of criminal conduct.”

It was also alleged that Cassell’s conduct was fraudulent in that he dishonestly represented that he was a legitimate director of Providence Estate Limited.

Further allegations were that Cassell represented that he was legally entitled to sell land at Providence Estate, and he filed a Change of Directors application with the Companies Registry regarding the same estate.

The attorney was accused of receiving funds into his company’s bank account, for sale of the said land, for the purpose of avoiding prosecution for an offence, or the making or enforcement of a confiscation order.

Cassell had been convicted and sentenced to prison for an earlier offence related to this charge; but, subsequently, he had his conviction overturned.

Reportedly that charge was reinstated, under a different law this time, leading to a new trial that began last week and this second conviction.

While an earlier report alleged otherwise, Cassell is said to have represented himself in this trial, and it is believed that he will also appeal his conviction.

The Crown was represented by Richard Jory Q.C., Henry Gordon, and Director of Public Prosecutions Oris Sullivan.

Cassell practiced law until recently in Antigua and Barbuda, where he also hosted a radio programme dealing with constitutional matters.