Ex-cop charged in $2 million abduction, robbery in St Thomas

An ex-policeman is facing several criminal charges for his alleged involvement in an abduction and $2 million robbery, his attorney has confirmed.

Lonnie Pearcy was charged by detectives on Tuesday with kidnapping, use of a firearm to commit a felony, robbery with aggravation, assault at common law and breach of the Corruption Prevention Act, his attorney Donnovan Collins disclosed during an interview.

Pearcy was picked out of a line-up during an identification parade held on Monday, Collins confirmed.

It is unclear if charges have been filed against a serving police Constable who remains in custody for his alleged involvement in the robbery.

But according to Collins, his client's employer has shown police investigators surveillance camera footage which “clearly showed” Pearcy at work in St Mary “at a time that would make it impossible for him to be in St Thomas committing the alleged offence.”

“For some strange reason the police officers from IPROB have failed to take the footage or the device as part of their investigation,” Collins said, making reference to the police internal affairs unit, Inspectorate and Professional Standard Oversight Bureau.

“This, in my opinion, is indicative of the bias that some investigators operate with when conducting investigations.”

Collins said he client has been cooperating with investigators from the outset and that he directed them to the address of his employer where he was apprehended.

Investigators believe the victim of the $2 million robbery, which took place in St Thomas recently, was set-up by a close friend who he told that he had collected a large sum of cash.

He reportedly told investigators that his abductors warned him that they would “lost” him if they were not paid millions of dollars for his release.

“The victim got to the funds and gave it to his abductors and then he was released. He was warned not to report anything to the authorities. He did and the investigation began,” a source told The Gleaner.

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