An American national who is currently in custody for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, Jason James Grogg, said he shipped the weapons to Dominica by mistake. He said he packed the weapons into a container in the United States but didn’t intend to ship them to Dominica. His lawyers are asking for a monetary fine instead of a prison sentence.
Jason Grogg and his wife Jennifer have been remanded at the Stock Farm Prison until May 5th. They are jointly charged with the trafficking of firearms.
The fact of the case is that police authorities executed a search warrant on Grogg’s Mahaut home on April 17 where they found a large cache of firearms and ammunition. He agreed that the weapons belonged to him and that he did not have a license for firearms. Upon further inquiries, he told police officers that he was the owner of a 40-foot container placed in a church compound in the community.
The police obtained a warrant to search the container the next day, and with the help of customs officers, moved the container to the port where they discovered more firearms and ammunition. A search of Grogg’s daughter Hannah also yielded firearms and live ammo. He and his wife Jennifer and four children aged 18, 16, 14, and 12 were arrested and placed in custody before arraignment in court.
Below is a list of the weapons seized from Jason Grogg:
- 120 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition
- 17 rounds of universal 20-gauge Winchester ammunition
- 45 rounds of .9mm ammunition
- One 57mm M16 spent shell casing
- Three 20mm M21A1B1 spent shell casing
- Three 20mm projectile
- One 37mm M63 projectile
- One .9mm Glock 19 pistol
- Three .9mm 15-round capacity magazines, and
- Four 30-round capacity 5.56 magazines
Grogg reportedly pointed out the container to the authorities to be searched and confessed to officers that he owned the illegal content.
It’s mine, I was the one who purchased it in the States. They are mine; they are not supposed to be here. When I saw that I had brought the firearm and ammunition down in error, I removed them from the container, I put them in that suitcase, and I carried them to the house.
Jason James Grogg
The family’s attorneys, Julien and Jilane Prevost, pleaded with the court that Grogg is a Christian missionary in Dominica and that the moved his family into the country for evangelical and philanthropic work. The lawyers said he was well acquainted with churches in Mahaut and beyond and that he set up a Bible school and a vocational training institute where he taught the youths carpentary.
The attorneys also stated that Grogg was a member of the National Rifle Association in Indiana, USA, and he taught firearm safety to members for 15 years. They argued that it was not his intention to ship weapons illegally into Dominica and so should be fined and not be sent to prison.
He is well-versed on the safe use of various firearms, and this is the reason why he was the handler of various types of firearms and ammunition. He did not require a license for those firearms in Indiana, USA. Mr. Grogg sold all his firearms, including over 30 rifles to help finance [his family’s] migration to Dominica. He had no intention to travel or import into Dominica any of the firearm and ammunition.
Jilane Prevost, Attorney
While Magistrate Laudat pointed that out that the maximum penalty for firearms possession is a jail term not exceeding 15 years or a $20,000 fine, he said firearm-related violence is on the rise in Dominica and that a strong warning should be sent to illegal importers.
Possession of firearm and ammunition are serious offenses in the Commonwealth of Dominica especially when an entity of the State is used during the commissioning of the crime. It is not in the public’s interest and the interests of justice for this court to adhere to the sentencing guidelines. A message must be sent out loud and clear that illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions will not be tolerated or welcomed in Dominica due to its visible impact.
Michael Laudat, Magistrate
The judge disclosed that given that Grogg is a first-time offender who fully cooperated with the police, he was not inclined to impose a custodial sentence. He said he would prefer to fine the defendant if he had the means to pay. So he asked Grogg if he was able to pay a fine, but the American was non-commital. So the judge ordered that his financial standing be investigated and adjourned the sentencing to May 5th.
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