Do you remember sixty two year old Michael Coye, fifty five year old Marlene Coye, thirty three year old Melonie Coye, Jude Coye, and thirty seven year old American national James Gerou? Well they are the husband, wife, son, daughter and her boyfriend who were charged with money laundering after police searched the family home and recovered one point five million dollars. Throughout, the family has maintained along that they run a legitimate business which is the Money Gram situated at the corner of Mahogany Street and Central American Boulevard. But today there was an interesting twist. The police raided the Money Gram office operated by the Coye’s. But instead of simply walking through the front door, they blowtorched and entrance.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Scattered utility bills and two broken padlocks among other debris were what we found on the entrance into the Money Gram office. It had all the markings of an attempted burglary at the International Money Transfer office located at the corner of Mahogany Street and Central American Boulevard. But an eyewitness and it was later confirmed by the business agents attorney that the mess was allegedly caused by those to protect law and order.
The police reportedly arrived in this gold Isuzu four wheel drive pickup truck sometime after nine this morning. It was also during this time that the police took into custody the business agent’s son Jude Coye. Jude Coye reportedly was standing outside of this establishment about one building away from the family’s business but yet has reportedly been charged for obstruction of justice.
Celina Correa, Neighbour
“The man they come with the torch, they cut open the locks and then they went in and the man son Jude, he was standing out there, and the police just came and told him they were charging him with obstruction and they pushed him into the pickup, they pushed him into the pickup.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Was he preventing them from accessing the building?
Celina Correa,
“No he was just standing up there and they just told him they will charge him with obstruction and they forced him into the pickup.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So it was the police who cut open the locks?
Celina Correa,
“I think they are CIB.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And how long were they inside the building?
Celina Correa,
“Well I don’t really know how long but good while.”
Why the place was accessed by the Financial Intelligence Unit and the police is believed to be in connection with the ongoing investigation into charges of money laundering, The charge was levied against the Coye family and their daughter’s boyfriend. The arrest follows a police search at the family’s home where they found one million, five hundred an fifty seven thousand, seven hundred and eighty nine dollars.
Family attorney Arthur Saldivar after hearing what had happened arrived on the scene and told us that what has taken place is totally illegal since no warrant was issued to any of the family members or the attorneys.
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney of Coye Family
“We have seen no warrant, there was no warrant read to my clients.
I was not notified nor was the senior counsel notified, Mr. Bradley notified of any activity of this nature that was pending or was going to be taking place.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And that’s the proper procedure.
Arthur Saldivar,
“That is the proper procedure. The matter has already been engaged by the court. The court should have at least been informed and if not by way of a court order, they should have been some notification given that this activity would have been taking place. As you see they are pulling down the iron curtain, they are raising the iron curtain. They are doing things in secrecy, I don’t know what’s going on back there. I don’t see how this or anything they purport to find here at this time could be used.
Myself have requested to see the warrant that they are utilizing that’s given them authority to do what they are doing. Nothing has been produced thus far.”
Celina Correa,
“Even if they got permission to cut open the locks at least everybody should be there; the workers and everybody.”
Arthur Saldivar,
“They should have presented a warrant. Again the court, this matter is before the court at this time. In fact we have a date pending for trial to begin. We have received skimpy disclosure that discloses nothing and at this point it is our position that all we have right now is a fishing expedition.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Why all of this is going on I understand that Mr. Michael Coye’s son was taken in and charged with obstruction of justice. What happened in that situation?
Arthur Saldivar,
“Well again Jackie, it seems to me that the police who are assisting the FIU at the time have something personal at stake here because from what I have been able to ascertain from the short time being here, Mr. Coye was not in anyway trying to prevent anyone from entering the building. In fact they blowtorched the lock.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Well in speaking to a neighbour she told us that Jude Coye was standing at the shop when he was approached by the cops and accused of obstructing justice.
Arthur Saldivar,
“And as you can see the shop is somewhere down the road. It is not anywhere close to this vicinity.”
We understand that as long as the business remains under investigation it must remain closed.
Arthur Saldivar,
“The building does not become the property of the FIU or the Police Department by no way shape or form. However again my clients have always contended that they have done nothing wrong and they have cooperated with everything that they were asked to do and I see no reason why they would have not cooperated in the situation also. But they have not been given the opportunity to for whatever reason.”
According to the Coye family attorney Arthur Saldivar since his clients have been charged and the police and FIU had access to the building they have removed computers, files and other documents so in his opinion there was nothing left for them to take from the building, According to attorney Arthur Saldivar he strongly believes when the case goes to trial his clients will be free of any charges but for the moment he expects Jude Coye to remain in police lock down over the weekend and quite possibly be taken over to court where he should be arraigned on charges of obstruction of justice.
Late this evening, 7News was finally able to contact Marilyn Williams the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit. She says that there was nothing illegal about what happened today at the Money Gram Office. According to Marilyn Williams back in December they too did not have a warrant when they went entered the premises to recover computers, files and other documents. According to Williams once there are reasonable grounds for money laundering suspicion, they do not need a warrant to access any building where the illegal activities is alleged to be happening.
Williams says this morning’s operation was based on reports that despite the fact that in late 2008 her office suspended the businesses license to operate, reports said that operations continued. The original money laundering case was scheduled to be heard on March fourth but because of the municipal elections it will now be heard in April.
