FORMER Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant, Keyon King, on Friday pleaded guilty to the multi-million dollar gold and money heist which occurred in August at Wallison Enterprise, on Gordon Street, Kitty.

King, 32, of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, and two of Wallison’s security officers, Delroy Jackson, called “Bug”, 36, of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara; and Peon Lee, called “Nino Brown”, 35, of Mocha, East Bank Demerara, were on August 10, remanded to prison on four counts of robbery.

During his first court appearance before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, King had pleaded guilty to the robbery charges, but later returned to court and changed his plea.

King, who was unrepresented at the time, told the Magistrate that he was confused as to what to say when the charges were formally read to him. The approach worked in his favour, as the Magistrate accepted his “not guilty” plea, though not necessarily his claim that he had no prior knowledge of the robbery.

On Friday, during another appearance before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, King opted to plead guilty to the charges.

King admitted that on August 5, while being armed with guns, and in the company of others, he robbed Wallison Enterprise of $38 million in local currency, and $20 million worth of raw gold, property of Francis Santos Lumes.

He also confessed to three other charges where he allegedly relieved Fernanda Carmichael of a cellular phone worth $350,000; Francis Santos Lumes of gold jewellery and cash amounting to $224,000; and William Batista DaSilva of a cellular phone valued at $60,000, all while using a firearm to force them to comply.

King’s attorney, Latoya Robert asked the court for a probation report to be prepared for her client before sentencing.

The Magistrate granted the attorney’s request and deferred sentencing until November 11.

Meanwhile, King along with his alleged accomplice will remain on remand.

Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, had told reporters that the police are in search of other suspects believed to have been involved in the robbery.

He explained that the plan was hatched by Lee, who worked as the Company’s Chief of Security, while Jackson, a security officer on duty at the time the heist was executed, reportedly confessed that the daring robbery should have occurred on Wednesday, August 4.

It was related that because the owner’s family was present at the premises where the heist was to be carried out, the men opted for the following day instead.

At the time of the robbery, DaSilva, a 45-year-old goldsmith, and Carmicheal, a 20-year-old cashier, were at work at Wallison Enterprise when the bandits entered at 10:05hrs.

It is alleged that they arrived with a white car, which they parked on the northern side of the building, and entered the compound through the main gate. They were reportedly granted access into the building by a security guard under the guise that they were there to sell gold.

Once the men entered the building’s waiting area, they reportedly impressed upon the cashier that the small package they were carrying contained the gold they’d come to sell.

It is reported that after they gained her confidence, the men brandished firearms, and, at gunpoint, escorted the cashier into an inner office where the goldsmith and another man were conducting some business.

Holding both men at gunpoint, the intruders reportedly ordered the goldsmith to open the two metal safes in the office, handcuffed them, and confiscated their cellular phones, valued at some $360,000.

The intruders reportedly escaped with $38 million in cash and 60 ounces of raw gold valued at $20 million.

By the time the cashier raised the alarm, and the security guard on duty responded, the alleged bandits were gone. The police were summoned.

The entire incident was caught on CCTV cameras located inside the business premises.

Police made a major breakthrough in the investigation with the recovery of a total of $18M found buried at King’s residence.