A&R Armed Robbery Convict Spared Prison Time with Fines

One of the two men convicted of the 2019 armed robbery at A and R store in Belize City was spared prison time when he appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court today.  Keon Budnah, was found guilty on September 5 of one count of aggravated burglary and two counts of aggravated assault for the robbery that ended in a shootout with police. He appeared for his sentencing hearing along with his attorney Norman Rodriguez, and called four witnesses to make mitigation pleas on his behalf. He called three relatives, including his mother, and one of his primary school teachers. His mother tearfully pleaded with the court not to send her son to prison, noting that he is the sole provider for his litter sister and has a child on the way. His other witnesses testified that he has cleaned up his life since the 2019 incident, has been holding two jobs, and avoided problems with the law since then. After considering the severity of the crime and the mitigation pleas the magistrate imposed three fines. Budnah was fined four thousand dollars for the aggravated burglary and five hundred dollars each for the two counts of aggravated assault. Along with the cost of court fines, he owes a total of five thousand and fifteen dollars. He has until January 31, 2024, to pay the four thousand dollar fine or he faces four years in prison for defaulting. Meanwhile, he has until December 29 to pay the other two fines or he faces five months in prison. Following the sentence Rodriguez and Budnah spoke to court news reporter Anita Nembhard on the significance of the ruling.

Budnah was only 17 at the time the robbery was committed. He had been jointly charged with Haldwin Castillo, who absconded after meeting bail. Castillo has not been seen since 2022.