The local court of Saint-Martin recently dealt with a particularly “ludicrous” case, according to the terms used by the deputy prosecutor Marie-Lucie Godard.
The victim, DD, aged 45, testifies in the absence of the accused, CB, to this story worthy of a Hollywood suspense film script.
Between April and May 2024, he allegedly received death threats from CB. The issue stemmed from a commercial dispute and a substantial sum of money that the defendant, presenting himself as a project manager operating between Andorra, Mexico, and Saint Barthélemy, was demanding from DD.
Very quickly, the demand for payment escalated into blackmail, with explicit threats made on WhatsApp targeting the victim’s partner and daughter. A photo taken from Facebook was sent to the victim to intimidate her and make the blackmail seem more real.
DD therefore filed a complaint with the gendarmerie, who identified the phone line as originating from Colombia, specifically from the Medellin area. The threats seemed straight out of a B-movie. “If you don’t pay by credit card tomorrow, I’ll kill your daughter, pay 100,000″€. Otherwise, the Medellin cartel will intervene. ».
This case might be laughable in its absurdity if the victim hadn’t been under real pressure in his daily life. For example, upon disembarking the Voyager from Saint Barthélemy and arriving in the port of Philipsburg, DD was accosted by a man of Caribbean appearance who told him he was being sought everywhere. During a trip at sea, another man he encountered on a boat called him by name and brought up the case.
These facts are in addition to the numerous malicious calls and pressure messages, never sent directly by the accused but always by complicit intermediaries. “I’m really scared, I’m even thinking of leaving the island.” DD adds The defendant, CB, is clearly known to the justice system and has a criminal record with four entries, including “misuse of property” or “prohibition from carrying out a commercial activity”.
The deputy prosecutor, angered by such actions, heaped blame on CB: “I have zero tolerance for any type of intimidation. These people must immediately cease their threats and attempts to extort money in this territory.” The prosecution’s request is therefore severe: a one-year prison sentence with an arrest warrant and a €5000 fine are sought. The verdict is still pending, as deliberations are ongoing. _LA
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/tribunal-un-individu-menace-de-crime-par-le-soi-disant-cartel-de-medellin/
