‘Money jet’ pilot for February 2015 trial

Dec 24, 2014 News

A Puerto Rico Court has set February 23rd, 2015, for the trial of Khamraj ‘Kem’ Lall, the Guyana-born pilot who was allegedly caught with over US$600,000 in cash hidden in his private jet.

‘Money jet’ pilot: Khamraj Lall

According to court documents scheduling the processes of the court case, the pilot will have until February 13 to file a plea agreement or signal a change of plea. The matter will be heard before Judge Jay Garcia-Gregory.
The matter made headlines in Guyana as Lall, who owns Kaylee’s Gas Station in Coverden, East Bank Demerara, was arrested by airport authorities in Puerto Rico in November, after his jet made stop to refuel, on its way to Guyana. The jet and other assets, including the cash, are more than likely to be seized.
Earlier this month, Lall pleaded not guilty to the grand jury indictment of smuggling bulk cash. The pilot, who also owns a limousine service in Guyana, flew President Donald Ramotar on occasions on the private jet. His company, Exec Jet Club, has a private hangar at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Government had denied it granted the company any special privileges and said that the operations were in keeping with regulations.
Originally charged with bulk cash smuggling after US$620,000 was found in his jet, Lall was placed on US$100,000 bail. A grand jury then decided that he would additionally see forfeiture of the cash and his properties related to the offence. This was both in the US and could involve Guyana as well.
According to the indictments filed in the United States District Court of Puerto Rico, Lall knowingly attempted to transfer more than the allowed US$10,000 from Puerto Rico, without declaring it and in breach of laws.
Prosecutors are saying that on November 22, last, Lall and two other individuals arrived at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport on a private aircraft bearing tail number N822QL.
Lall was the co-pilot, while the other two individuals were his father and the pilot of the aircraft.
During a mandatory search, the agents unearthed some maintenance discrepancies and grounded the aircraft until the issues could be resolved.
The following morning, the issues were resolved, and Lall informed the US Customs Agents so that they could resume their outbound inspection of the aircraft. Employing the use of a sniffer dog, the US agents were alerted to a bundle of currency wrapped in plastic bags, and a blanket, was found under the exit row seat. It was approximately US$150,000.
His explanation was that the money represented proceeds from his business, and which he had forgotten was there. The agents did not buy his explanation.
When they continued their search, they stumbled upon a black suitcase inside a compartment next to the engines. The suitcase was found to contain several black garbage bags containing bundles of currency totaling approximately US$470,000.
Lall accepted responsibility for the cash. He later moved to restrict some of the details contained in the court documents claiming that he was “filing the motion with the requested level of restriction because it is necessary to protect the confidentiality of the information detailed in the document and exhibits.”
Recently, the Puerto Rican court ordered the jet owner to surrender all his pilot licences. He was restricted to travel between New Jersey in the United States and Puerto Rico only for purposes pertaining to his court hearing.
Exec Jet has reportedly also closed it’s Gainesville, Florida office.