(Kaieteur News) Ryan Wharton,33, a former research assistant with Kaieteur News and resident of R4-574, Canary Street, Tucville has confessed to being the mastermind behind Monday’s armed robbery that took place there.
He has even implicated one of the on-duty security guards, Joshua Junor, 35, in the crime. Junor was seen on camera being held at gunpoint and forced into one of the rooms of the Kaieteur News’ office building on Saffon Street, Charlestown but Wharton told investigators that it was all part of a plan. The former research assistant claimed that he and Junor had planned the robbery together with some other men on Sunday morning.
Wharton provided an unlicensed gun to one of their accomplices, Ivor Belingie Aka ‘WildLife’ to carry out the stick up and borrowed a car from his cousin, Lemuel Grant, 23, a clerk of Russell Street Charlestown. The mastermind even convinced his friend, a taxi driver, Harry Stongster, 36 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 Kaieteur News just after midnight and carried out what they had planned within five minutes.
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 a clueless 63-year security guard and 20-year-old graphic artist at gunpoint.
When they were finished, Junor remained at the office while Wharton, WildLife and Stongster drove to his (Wharton) home.
There they broke open the safe, removed a pistol and ammunition that was stored inside and split up the cash that was found between four.
Wildlife collected Junor’s share on his behalf and the men proceeded to burn the clothes they used to conduct 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.
Wharton then took his share of the loot and handed it over to his child mother, a policewoman for safe keeping and told her that he had won the cash while playing a Superbet game. Wharton also placed the gun and ammunition removed from the safe along with the gun used in the robbery, firearm grips and holster into a haversack and gave them to his friend, Collis Heywood at Tucville.
Investigators have arrested all of the suspects involved and recovered over $6M- part of the stolen cash-the stolen pistol and ammunition, the broken safe and the car used in the robbery.
