Nearly $20,000 in fines for 15 foreign nationals convicted in a Grand Bahama Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The group consisted of 12 Haitians, two Chinese and one Colombian, who all appeared before Magistrate Rengin Johnson to answer charges of either illegal entry, illegal embarkation or overstaying. 

Delise Gedilis, Anne Edith Taris, Rose Widney Fils-Aime, Venant Nixon, Brave Odric, Wislyn Alexis, Guenther Elovidor, Vilnert Lauradin were all convicted of illegal entry & illegal embarkation and were fined $300.00 each on both counts or if they default payment, serve six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Also charged was Kerlande Cerizier who was convicted of illegal entry and fined $300.00 or in default of payment serve six months in prison. 

Exelane Saint Victor and Kerby Victor both were convicted of illegal embarkation and fined $300.00 each or in default of payment serve six months of a prison term.

Rodelyn Lamour was convicted of Overstaying and fined $3000.00 or in default of payment serve nine months at Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. 

Limei Zhang and Jie Zhao who were convicted of overstaying and illegal embarkation and were both fined $3000.00 for overstaying and $300.00 for illegal embarkation. Both were also told failure to pay would result in nine months at Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Nancy Melissa Rengifo Barreiro was convicted of overstaying and illegal embarkation and fined $3000.00 and $300.00 respectively on each count or in default of payment serve nine months.

According to a press statement from the Department of Immigration, fines were not paid by Guenther Elovidor, Rodelyn Lamour, Limei Zhang and Jie Zhao and they were subsequently turned over to the Royal Bahamas Police Force for due process. 

The statement further revealed that on March 3rd officers of the Defence Force notified the Department of Immigration of a suspected human smuggling attempt at Sunrise Marina in Freeport, Grand Bahama, it subsequently led to the arrest of the two Haitian nationals who were subsequently charged in court, namely Kerlande Cerizier and Rodelyn Lamour. 

“Additionally, on March 3rd members of United States Coast Guard vessel ‘Bernard C. Webber’ turned over seventeen foreign nationals inclusive of four minors suspected to have made preparatory steps to illegally enter the U.S onboard a twenty-five foot fishing vessel that was intercepted in Grand Bahama waters,” the statement read.