By Breaking Belize News Staff: Four of five family members charged after a police search at a Belize City home earlier this month are back home tonight, while 30-year-old Devon Pratt has been sentenced to prison for keeping an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Pratt, a Belizean security officer of Burrell Boom Village, was sentenced this afternoon to four years, three months and nine days for kept unlicensed firearm, and two years, three months and nine days for kept unlicensed ammunition. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning he will serve the longer term of four years, three months and nine days.
The case arose from a police search conducted on June 6, 2026, at a residence located at the corner of Caesar Ridge Road and Kraal Road. Police reported finding a brown and silver Glock 9×19 9mm pistol, two 9mm magazines, and seven live 9mm rounds under a mattress in a bedroom.
Initially charged along with Pratt were homeowner Natasha Hughes, 36, a Ready Call Center agent; Pratt’s brother, 27-year-old Eldon Pratt; 37-year-old entrepreneur Andrew Baizar; and a 16-year-old high school student. The group had been remanded after their arraignment on June 8, despite Devon Pratt pleading guilty. The prosecution had requested that Pratt be sentenced first before withdrawing the charges against the others.
During mitigation, Pratt, represented by attorney Ian Gray, told the court that he had no intention of hurting anyone and claimed the firearm was used for wildlife protection.
“I made a mistake and I put innocent people at risk and I made them lose their jobs,” Pratt told the court.
Gray asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence, arguing that Pratt was gainfully employed and had not been before the court for more than a decade, despite a previous conviction for similar offences.
However, the Senior Magistrate noted that Pratt had a prior conviction dating back to 2015/2016 for keeping an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, for which he had been fined. Court records also showed that he still owed $4,530 in outstanding fines from that matter.
In handing down the custodial sentence, the court considered that the firearm was concealed under a mattress, that more than five rounds of ammunition were found, and that Pratt had a previous conviction of a similar nature. The court also took into account that another defendant initially claimed ownership of the weapon before Pratt later pleaded guilty.
Pratt’s sentence was reduced for his early guilty plea and for the 21 days he had already spent on remand.
The four other accused persons were released after the charges against them were withdrawn.
The post Devon Pratt sentenced to over four years for gun and ammo found furing Kraal Road house search appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Four of five family members charged after a police search at a Belize City home earlier this month are back home tonight, while 30-year-old Devon Pratt has been sentenced to prison for keeping an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Pratt, a Belizean security officer of Burrell Boom Village, was sentenced this
The post Devon Pratt sentenced to over four years for gun and ammo found furing Kraal Road house search appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
