| He Pleaded Guilty To Stealing $1M From GOB, His Family Asks The Court For Mercy |
| Wed, October 9, 2024 |
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Ivan Ayuso was also in court today in Belize City. Last month we told you that Ayuso, a former Senior Accountant at the NSC pleaded guilty to one count of theft of over one million dollars and three counts of money laundering. He entered in a plea agreement which would see him serving no more than 5 years. Today, his mitigation plea was held, during which his attorney - holding brief for Darrell Bradley - called two character witnesses on his behalf. Both Ayuso's son and younger brother told the court that the situation has been hard on their family, but that Ayuso was a kind, caring man who loved his family deeply. They both also mentioned that he had two children still in school, and asked for the court's mercy regarding sentencing.
The DPP then read a statement from retired public officer, Patrick Henry, who was the Director of NSC in 2016 and 2017 while Ayuso worked there. He said that during that time the Council was unable to provide different services and went into overdraft on more than one occasion due to lack of funds.
Following this, the DPP told the court that the forfeit application wasn't completed and asked for an adjournment. This application will outline what assets belonging to Ayuso would be seized as reimbursement for the money he allegedly stole. The judge granted the adjournment and the case will resume on October 25th.
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