American Teen and Her Boyfriend Will Serve 4 Months in Jail Over COVID Violations
In yet another example of government overreach, an American teenager and her boyfriend have been sentenced to four months in a Cayman Islands jail for violating local quarantine rules.
Skylar Mack, 18, of Georgia, broke her two-week quarantine after two days because she wanted to watch her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet — a 24-year-old jet ski racer from the Cayman Islands — compete in a local race on Nov. 29, People reported.
Under Cayman’s coronavirus guidelines, travelers are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine-in-residence upon arriving on the island.
Mack pled guilty to removing her geo-fencing bracelet and breaking quarantine for seven hours in order to watch her boyfriend compete in a local jet-ski race. He pled guilty to aiding and abetting her.
The couple was initially sentenced to a fine and community service by Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez.
However, Patrick Moran, the Director of Public Prosecutions for the Cayman Islands, appealed the sentence. He claimed it was too lenient and therefore, unlikely to deter others from breaching COVID guidelines.
Moran then sought prison terms for Mack and Ramgeet for the nonviolent transgression. Neither were infected with COVID-19 when Mack breached quarantine.
“These offenses should have been met with far more stringent measures,” Moran told the judge, as reported by the Cayman Compass. “When it comes to a matter of deterrence, the sentences imposed are likely to have little to no effect on other like-minded individuals.”
Moran argued that the couple should have been sentenced to jail and a larger fine than they originally received.
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“These offences should have attracted a custodial sentence and, subject to their ability to raise the funds, they should have attracted a greater financial penalty over and above that of the costs of the Crown picking up the pieces,” he said.
Defense attorney Jonathan Hughes told the court that his clients had already paid their dues and that seeking jail terms for Mack and Ramgeet was over-the-top.
“There is no way that it can be right that a custodial sentence is imposed for a first-time offense on an 18-year-old defendant, who entered an early guilty plea,” Hughes said. “Ms. Mack has paid her fine in full from her savings, which resulted in a significant portion of her funds being depleted.”
Hughes also pointed out that Mack, a college student, has been barraged with hate mail and death threats as a result of the negative publicity surrounding her case.
Hughes added that this incident “has even impacted her father, who is also a professional jet-ski rider and has now lost sponsorship because of it.”
Meanwhile, Ramgeet was forced to return the trophy and prize money he won at the race and was stripped of his victory. He’s also barred from competing in several early races in 2021 and was required to write a formal apology to the Cayman Islands.
On Tuesday, Justice Roger Chapple overturned the community service given by the Magistrate and sentenced Mack and Ramgeet to four months in prison.
The judge said that “Mack had committed a planned, selfish act and there was no alternative to a custodial sentence, despite her age, good character, admissions and her circumstances. He added that Ramgeet was older and should have known better when he assisted his girlfriend to attend the Jet Ski event where she was ultimately arrested,” according to the Cayman News Service.
“Hughes said the sentence is the first of its kind, adding that Mack’s family is concerned: ‘They’re worried for her because she’s in prison in a foreign country on her own. While this is something she brought on herself, it’s very distressing for her,'” the attorney told WSB-TV.
The couple are the first to be sentenced under the law that focuses on COVID-19 violators. Originally, the law gave out a $2,400 fine and six months in prison, however, it was amended to a $12,000 fine and two years in prison, according to WSB-TV.
It’s a good thing that CNN’s Chris Cuomo didn’t travel to the Cayman Islands this year since he broke quarantine while infected with the coronavirus back in October.
Tellingly, Chris violated COVID rules put in place by his own brother, Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while lecturing everyone else to strictly follow them. Otherwise, they’re murderers!
Unlike Skylar Mack, Chris Cuomo has never apologized for breaking the rules or even acknowledged the incident. Naturally, the left-wing sheep that is our mainstream media hasn’t held Cuomo’s feet to the fire.
The irony of Cayman officials harshly punishing a lovesick teen for breaching local guidelines is comical when you consider that the British-owned island has long been an international haven for tax evasion and money laundering.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
