Former US soldier on gun charge gets $500,000 bail

A Jamaican-American man charged over the seizure of a loaded gun during a traffic stop was today granted $500,000 bail with one or two sureties in the St Catherine Parish Court.

Tamil Chin, 28, who was recently discharged from the United States army, was ordered by Senior Parish Court judge Desiree Alleyne to surrender his travel documents and to report to the Central Village Police Station two times weekly.

Chin, who is charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and unauthorized possession of ammunition, is to go before the Gun Court on January 26.

In applying for bail, his attorney Mathew Simms said Chin had no knowledge of the gun.

The attorney also told the court that he was recently honourably discharged from the US army after completing two tours of Afghanistan.

He further told the court that Chin suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The bail application was granted.

Allegations are that on December 8, police personnel assigned to the St Catherine South division stopped a vehicle and conducted a search.

A black bag allegedly being carried by Chin was searched and a nine millimetre pistol with a magazine containing 11 rounds of ammunition was seized, according to the police.

He was subsequently arrested and later charged.

- Rasbert Turner

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