Attorney Wendel Alexander
The Court of Appeal has delivered sweeping sentence reductions in a series of firearm cases, significantly cutting prison terms for several men — including well-known tattoo and body-piercing artist Oszie Kelvin Russell, widely known as “Mongoose.”
Russell’s original three-and-a-half-year sentence has been reduced to one year and ten months after a successful appeal led by attorneys Wendel Alexander and Andrew Okola.
Speaking to Antigua.news, Alexander said the Chief Magistrate failed to properly apply the totality principle — a key sentencing guideline that ensures penalties are proportionate when multiple offences are involved.
The ruling effectively halves the sentence imposed by Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel, following Russell’s guilty plea to possession of an unlicensed 9mm Glock 80 pistol, ten rounds of ammunition, and a black suppressor.
Ozsie Kelvin ‘Mongoose’ Russell received a reduced sentence from appeal after firearm conviction (photo by Facebook)
The charges stemmed from an early morning police operation at Russell’s Lightfoot residence on April 22, 2025.
Officers executing a search warrant at approximately 6:55 a.m. reported that Russell attempted to discard an object through a bedroom window after they announced their presence. The item was recovered, and a subsequent search uncovered a suppressor on the premises.
Multiple Sentences Reduced
Russell was not the only appellant to benefit from the court’s ruling.
• Ricardo Howell, 34, of Bolans, had his firearm and ammunition sentence reduced by one year and two months.
• Malique Challenger saw his sentence cut in half — from three years and eight months to one year and ten months.
• Jamal Prince had his sentence reduced from over three years to two years and eleven months.
• Jeson Cedeno, who had been serving a sentence of more than three years, walked free after the court found he had already exceeded the revised term.
The decisions underscore the Court of Appeal’s intervention in correcting sentencing approaches, particularly in cases involving multiple firearm-related offences, where the application of legal principles such as totality can significantly impact final penalties.
Was Mongoose ever even locked up
You People Realize Gun Crime Is Going To Rise With This Ignorance, Right?!
It’s Only In A CHRISTIAN SOCIETY This Ignorance Takes Place!!!
Imagine a magistrate that is so personal, spiteful and unprofessional in her practice. Her conduct in open court has come into scrutiny many times yet they gave her Chief. Her conduct with law enforcement personnel in the court that she refers to her own is even worse. It’s like she has no supervision in her practices. This case is just an eye opener with regards to many injustices the people of Antigua and Barbuda has endured since she’s been there. I remember when she use to practice at the All Saints Court at the All Saints Police Station. Arrival with her pet Police Officer holding her umbrella from Jeep to entrance of court at 11:00am while people sat there from 9:00am waiting for court to start. Then cases were being adjourned left right and center because by 12:00pm, court was over. They always know to point fingers but can’t seem to get their own behavior in check!!
Wendel Alexander doing what he always does…fighting for his clients till the end. Whether you like it or not, that man know the law inside out
People vex but this is how the system works. Appeal there for a reason. Big up Wendel for pushing it
Wendel was the police commissioner for many years, and he also knows the loopholes in the system, so he is taking advantage of it like that…I also have a feeling that Wendel doh like that chief magistrate head atol
very time Wendel name call is either big case or big result… that man consistent
So all this time sentences was being handed down wrong? That’s the bigger concern here
This one going spark plenty debate. Anytime gun sentences get reduced, people start questioning whether justice being softened too much, especially with crime concerns already high.
Not defending nobody with gun eh, but if the court didn’t apply the law properly, then the appeal had to succeed. Simple