He is forty one year old Basil Willis, aka, ET, a well known criminal with twenty eight convictions. Today he got a couple more as robbery and burglary were tacked onto the long list that already includes ten drug related offences and eight for theft. In fact Basil Willis had only been released from the Belize Central Prison three weeks ago. But this time, they say he went big time by breaking into the Western Union office and stealing a metal safe with tens of thousands of dollars.
According to court reports, it was a total of $39,466.87 in Belize currency and $5,531 in US currency, a total of over fifty thousand Belize dollars. Police have yet to recover all of the money. Magistrate Sharon Fraser explained to the accused that the court cannot offer him bail because the offences were committed with a firearm.
Basil Willis allegedly used the firearm to hold-up thirty three year old KBH security guard Ray Villagram. Villagram told police that while he was on duty around twelve thirty five that morning he was held up at gunpoint by a man who took away his belt and used it to tie his hands and feet. According to Villagram, the gunman then threw a piece of cloth over his face so he wouldn’t be able to see. The security guard’s hand held radio valued at six hundred dollars was also stolen along with his KBH peak cap and t–shirt.
And just how did Basil Willis get into the concrete building? Well, the police investigation reveals that the gunman got inside by cutting the padlock on the shutters. Once inside he stole the metal safe that contained the large amount of cash and some cheques.
Basil Willis is tonight behind bars on remand until his next court appearance on October nineteenth.
