Third Trinidadian pleads guilty to hostage-taking resulting in death of American man in Trinidad

Washington, D.C. - A Trinidadian national, Jason Errol Percival, has pleaded guilty to the hostage-taking resulting in the death in Trinidad of U.S. citizen Balram Maharaj in 2005, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today.

Percival, 34, formerly of Lower Santa Cruz, Trinidad, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable John D. Bates in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to the charges of hostage-taking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit hostage-taking resulting in death. The victim had been visiting relatives in Trinidad when he was taken hostage. Percival faces a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment under the hostage-taking statute. The United States has agreed not to seek the death penalty against Percival. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Percival was arrested in Trinidad and extradited to the United States on February 22, 2007. Seven other individuals, including Russel Jerry Joseph, also known as "Saucy," Winston Gittens, Wayne Pierre, also known as "Ninja", Kevin Nixon, also known as "Shaka," Christopher Sealey, also known as Christopher Bourne and "Boyie," and Anderson Straker, also known as "Gypsy's Son," have been extradited to the United States in connection with the hostage-taking of Maharaj. Joseph pled guilty on July 26, 2006, and Gittens pled guilty on February 27, 2007, to the same charges as Percival. Additionally, the superseding Indictment in the matter charges four other individuals, as to each of whom the United States has requested extradition from Trinidad and Tobago.

In April 2005, the victim, Balram Maharaj, a naturalized American citizen of Trinidadian heritage, returned to his native land to visit his family. According to government's evidence, the ordeal began for Maharaj when, on April 6, 2005, he was seized by armed gunmen as he sat relaxing at the Samaan Tree Bar. Maharaj, 61, suffered from poor health and was held hostage under very harsh conditions, including depriving him of essential medications, while his abductors demanded a ransom from his family for his release. The dismembered and badly decomposed body of Maharaj was located by the authorities in a remote area of Trinidad on January 8, 2006.

In announcing the guilty plea in the Percival case, U.S. Attorney Taylor and FBI Special Agent in Charge Solomon praised the hard work of the FBI's Miami Division Extra-territorial Squad, in particular lead case agents William Clauss and Edgar Cruz, the FBI Evidence Response Team, FBI Assistant Legal Attaches Marvin Freeman and Michael LaPlante based in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Anti-Kidnaping Squad and Homicide Bureau, in particular Inspector Johnny Abraham, Acting Sergeant Wendell Lucas and Detective Corporal Eric Park and Detective Constables Kendell Abraham, Marvin Pinder, Michael Seales, Montgomery Trotman and Phillip Forbes, the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of the Attorney General, Geoffrey Henderson, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Trinidad and Tobago, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Montreal, Canada, the staff of the U.S. Consulate and U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Jeffrey Olson, Trial Attorney, Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs. Furthermore, they praised Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce R. Hegyi and Jeanne M. Hauch, who are prosecuting the case.

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