BDF Soldier and Police Corporal Sentenced to Prison for Perverting the Course of Justice

Two law enforcement officers convicted of attempting to cover up the 2021 shooting death of BDF soldier Jessie Escobar were today sentenced to prison, bringing an emotional end to a four-year legal battle.

This morning, BDF Private Ramon Alberto Alcoser and Police Corporal Juan Carlos Morales were escorted from the prison bus into the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for sentencing.

Alcoser was handed 1 year and 2 months behind bars, while Morales received 1 year and 11 months. Both sentences take effect today. Their attorneys had urged the court to impose non-custodial penalties, but the magistrate ruled that prison time was warranted given the seriousness of the offence.

Morales, who according to his attorney has struggled with suicidal thoughts throughout the trial, broke down in tears during his mitigation plea. Even after sentencing, he pleaded for the court to review what he claimed were new documents showing that an officer involved in the case had lied. The magistrate noted that such material could no longer affect the sentence, but Morales insisted he needed to be heard.

Attorney Ellis Arnold, who represents Morales, said they intend to file an appeal.

Both men were convicted on November 12 of perverting the course of justice in connection with the shooting death of 29-year-old BDF soldier Jessie Escobar, who was killed during a confrontation in Santa Familia Village on September 5, 2021. The Senior Magistrate found that Alcoser and Morales deliberately lied and omitted key details in their official statements about the incident.

During trial, the Defence argued that the men were exhausted, traumatized, and pressured when they were made to provide statements. But the court rejected that claim, concluding that both officers were in a proper state of mind and gave their statements voluntarily and only hours after the shooting.