Ex-employee confesses to plotting KN robbery with security guard

Oct 12, 2022 News

…5 more nabbed

…broken safe, some stolen cash, gun and ammo recovered

Kaieteur News – 33-year-old Ryan Wharton, a former Research Assistant with Kaieteur News (KN) and resident of R4-574, Canary Street, Tucville, Georgetown, has confessed to being the mastermind behind the Monday morning armed robbery carried out at Kaieteur News, 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown office.

The stolen items that were recovered

Wharton has implicated 35-year-old Joshua Junor, one of two security guards who were on duty during the commission of the robbery. Junor was seen on camera being held at gunpoint and forced into a room in the bottom flat of the two-storey building around 00:45hrs. But according to Wharton’s statement to Investigators that was all a part of their plan.

According to Investigators, Wharton related that he and Junor became close friends when he worked at KN last year. He revealed that the plan to rob the company was first initiated when he left the company. However, he said the robbery plan was finalised on Sunday around 11:00hrs when Joshua visited his home.

Wharton said that Junor brought along a an accomplice identified as Ivor Belingie aka ‘Wildlife’ of Back Circle, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown and they started to finalise the plan.

Wharton said that he gave ‘Wildlife’ an unlicensed gun to use during the robbery and said that he borrowed a car from his 23-year-old cousin, Lemuel Grant, a clerk of Russell Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. The number plate, he said, was replaced with a fake one. The mastermind even convinced his friend, a taxi driver, 36-year-old Harry Stongster of Hyde Park, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) to go with them on the robbery.

Junor turned up for work early Sunday afternoon and at around 23:00hrs that evening the plan was put into motion.

‘Wildlife’, Stongster, and Wharton drove to KN in a gold coloured Toyota Spacio motor car just after midnight and carried out, within five minutes, what they had planned.

Wharton said that he and Stongster headed straight to the Accounts Department where he knew the safe was being kept while ‘Wildlife’ held Junor (their accomplice), and two other employees –a 63-year-old Security Guard and a 20-year-old Graphic Artist – at gunpoint. No one was hurt during the ordeal.

After Wharton and Stongster carried the safe to the car, which was parked just outside the KN office, ‘Wildlife’ joined them and they drove to Wharton’s home. There they broke open the safe with a grind handle and hammer, and removed a large sum of cash, a firearm, ammunition, one holster, magazines, and firearm hand grips. The cash, Wharton said, was split four ways – for himself, Stongster, ‘Wildlife’ and Junor.

Wharton said that ‘Wildlife’ collected Junor’s share and the men proceeded to burn the fake number plate and clothes they wore during the robbery. Stongster and ‘Wildlife’ then left Wharton’s home and threw away the empty safe in a trench at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown.

Kaieteur News security guard, Joshua Junor

Wharton said that he then took his share of the loot and handed it over to a Policewoman, who is the mother of his child, for safe keeping. He said that he told her that he had won the cash while playing a Superbet game. Wharton also placed the gun, ammunitions, magazines, the holster and the firearm grips that were in the safe into a haversack and gave them to his friend, Collis Heywood, who resides at Tucville, Georgetown. He then returned the borrowed car to his cousin with its correct number plate.

Investigators have arrested all of the suspects involved and recovered some of the stolen cash amounting to over $6M, the gun and ammunition, the broken safe and the car used in the robbery.

All of them have reportedly admitted to playing their part in the robbery. As it relates to the car used, Wharton’s cousin, Grant, told police that the car belongs to his mother who lives overseas and he had allowed him (Wharton) to borrow it on Sunday. He said Wharton returned the car on Monday.

Investigations are ongoing.

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