Tommy Lee Sparta Charged With Illegal Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition
Dancehall entertainer Tommy Lee Sparta has been officially charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition after he was detained yesterday by the police during a routine traffic stop.
The artiste reportedly had a gun in his waistband, sources say.
He is scheduled to appear on January 6, 2021 in the Corporate Area Parish court to answer these charges.
Earlier today, the deejay’s legal representatives had filed a verbal habeas corpus in the Corporate Area Parish Court: Criminal Division before judge Jaqueline Wilcott, who ordered that Sparta be released or charged with a crime by 8 am Thursday (December 17).
“The verbal habeas corpus is an emergency application that the court can decide to hear or not. I visited the lock up and when checks were made, I found that there was no court date and no formal indication that the entertainer has been charged, so I filed the verbal habeas corpus,” Donahue Martin told DancehallMag.
A habeas corpus is a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.
“As a result, the learned judge, Jacqueline Wilcott decided to order that the entertainer should be charged or released on or before Thursday (December 17),” Martin concluded.
Tommy Lee Sparta, whose real name is Leroy Russell, is being represented by Donahue Martin and Queen’s Counsel Tom Tavares Finson.
The police have now obliged the judge’s request so DancehallMag will be following this story as more information becomes available. Tommy Lee Sparta’s lawyers are preparing to tackle the case.
“When the matter goes to court, we will have disclosure and know how to proceed in this matter one way or another,” Martin said after being contacted following the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) announcement.
The entertainer was held by members of the JCF’s Specialized Operations Branch following the seizure of a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine containing 18 rounds of ammunition.
The weapon was found during an operation on Holborn Road, St Andrew about 6:00 pm yesterday.
The police report that a Toyota Mark X motor car was stopped, the occupants searched and the suspect found with the firearm and ammunition. He was taken into custody in relation to the seizure.
The other men held along with Sparta remain in police custody and are being investigated by the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime (CTOC) Unit.
Police have also indicated that Russell is currently the subject of other criminal investigations.
Earlier this year, Tommy Lee Sparta was detained under the State of Emergency (SOE) and released after 41 days in police custody on August 17, without being charged, after he appeared in front of a tribunal which found that there was no incriminating evidence against him, and therefore no justifiable reason for him to have been detained under a State of Emergency.
He has had several run-ins with the law.
The entertainer, on November 29, had announced an Africa and European tour dubbed the “Under Vibes Tour” with dates between March 1, 2021, and May 12, 2021.
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