THE UNITED States has commended the Jamaican Govern-ment for its effort in finding and extraditing fugitives wanted there for various crimes.
The commendation followed the apprehension of an American, Donald Lee Meko-liavitch, who was sent back to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was arrested. According to a report from the US Embassy in Kingston, the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team (JFAT) worked alongside the US Marshals, who confirmed that Mekoliavitch was wanted in Okeechobee, Florida, on charges of aggravated battery arising from spousal abuse.
He was returned to the US on Wednesday.
Minister-counsellor and deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy, Richard H. Smyth, commended the continued close co-operation between the US and Jamaica in finding and returning fugitives to face courts in their respective countries.
A spokesperson from the US Embassy said there were 10 extraditions from Jamaica to the US last year, and 11 are now being processed in the local court system.
It's also reported that Gwenette McKenzie was extradited recently to answer charges of distributing cocaine. On Thursday, another fugitive was picked up in downtown Kingston. He has been identified as Dwaine Alexander Lawes of Scarborough, Canada.
He was wanted by the Peel Regional Homicide Bureau in Brompton for the murder of bank clerk, Naney Kidd, who was killed during a bank robbery at the Dominion Bank in Brompton, January, 1999.
