A police officer escorts Kevin Morris Sands into court yesterday. (Photo: Ahvia J. Campbell)

A third person was charged in a magistrate's court yesterday afternoon in connection with a break-in at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company's (BTC) store at RND Plaza on John F. Kennedy Drive in late April.

Kevin Morris Sands, 25, of New Hope Drive, Bamboo Town, was arraigned on one count of shop-breaking and one count of stealing from a shop.

Prosecutors allege he stole $41,316.91 in cash and items.

It is alleged Sands broke into the BTC store between Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29.

Prosecutors allege he stole $10,023.44 in cash; $9,098.76 in checks; 50 mobile phones and devices valued at $18,614.21; 46 BTC mobile airtime cards valued at $1,580.50 and a steel safe valued at $2,000.

Sands, who appeared before Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected to be tried in the magistrate's court.

Forbes noted that while the magistrate's court cannot grant bail in the matter, the defendant can apply for bail in the Supreme Court.

Sands was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Assistant Superintendent Ercell Dorsett is prosecuting the case.

Attorney Michael Kemp is representing Sands.

Last Friday, a Royal Bahamas Defence Force marine and his girlfriend were also charged with breaking into the BTC store.

Darien Miller, 32, of Lumumba Lane, and Stephenique Jones, 25 of Baillou Hill Road South, were arraigned on one count of shop-breaking, one count of stealing from a shop and one count of receiving.

Miller, Jones and Sands will return to court on July 4 for trial.

Days before Miller and Jones were arraigned, two (now former) police officers pleaded guilty in a magistrate's court to stealing three Samsung Galaxy J1 phones after responding to the break-in at the BTC store on Friday, April 29.

Constable Ricardo Henry Bain, 44, and Constable Herman Lawrence Pinder, 31, also appeared before Forbes and entered guilty pleas.

Forbes fined Pinder and Bain $3,000 each.

Jasmin Brown, Guardian Staff Reporter

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian