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Tonight, 23 year-old Ladyville trouble-man Jesse Mejia is at the Belize Central Prison serving time and he must come up with $6,000 for court fines, or he will spend 3 years in jail. That's after he pleaded guilty to firearms offenses in front of Magistrate Emerson Banner today.

The incident dates back to July of last year, when Elward McKay was shot while riding his bicycle. 

Police say that Mejia was the shooter, and they set chase after him while he was attempting to flee the crime scene on a beach cruiser. They reported that as soon as he saw them, he threw a silver object into a nearby drain. They detained him, and retrieved a loaded .38 revolver. They charged him with keeping unlicensed firearm, and keeping unlicensed ammunition for the gun.

 After initially pleading not guilty for the offenses, Mejia took a guilty plea today before Magistrate Banner, conceding that he did have the weapon on him. For each guilty plea, Magistrate Banner sentenced him to pay fines of $3,000, which he must do by February 28th or next year. If he defaults, he could spend a total of 3 years in jail.

Mejia is currently on remand awaiting trial along with another man for the January 2018 double murder of 24 year-old Casey Lozano, and 25 year-old Marlon Spain, which happened on Mirage Road in Ladyville.