(CMR) The Prison's Literacy Coordinator, Sigifredo Castell Britton, has been charged with a total of 19 immigration-related offenses. Despite that, the Colombian national was granted a variation in his bail application Tuesday that will allow him to travel home for a month. He has not yet entered a plea in this case.
Magistrate Vanessa Allard permitted the 48-year-old man to have his passport returned to him after he requested authorization to travel for his elderly mom's surgery. His bail variation required a local surety to provide CI$5,000. He is scheduled to travel on June 5 and must return by July 5 and must provide the court with a travel itinerary. His passport must be surrendered within 24 hours of his return to the Cayman Islands.
Castel Britton faces seven counts of making a false statement contrary to section 76(1) of The Immigration (Transition) Act (2022) Revision. The accusations are that between January and December 2022, he was dishonest in submitting immigration paperwork.
He is also accused of receiving taking payments for work permit fees contrary to s 67(3) of The Immigration (Transition) Act (2022) Revision from twelve individuals. He sought reimbursement or a contribution towards work permit fees for his company Immersion Empowerment Cayman Islands Ltd TA Immersion Empowerment Retail. He is listed as the CEO of Immersion Empowerment for the past 3+ years.
Britton targeted other Colombian nationals and offered them employment with several construction companies. At the time of his arrest, he admitted in an affidavit to the offenses of making a false representation and unlawful payment of a work permit. He also admitted to the offense of receiving unlawful payments for permits for two other companies – BDJ Construction and Douglas Construction. CMR understands that he was recruiting employees for those individuals.
Britton was arrested late last year and formally charged on April 11, 2023. CMR understands that he was suspended a week later by the acting prison director. He was first employed with the Cayman Islands Ministry of Education in September 2019 before moving to Her Majesty Cayman Islands Prison Services in October 2021.
He claims to have a Master's degree in Educational Psychology and working on a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology from Walden University.
His next court appearance is July 11, and he has listed attorney Clayton Phuran on his legal aid application, which the court heard is still pending approval.
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