Popular businessman Francis “Chucky” Richards was today fined $EC 30,000  by a female Magistrate in St Lucia in connection with a charge slapped on him earlier in the month for the illegal possession of twenty-five (25) rounds of .22 calibre ammunition discovered in his luggage at the George F.L Charles airport in Castries.

Sources in St Lucia told THE NEW TODAY that Richards who is the operator of Chucky’s Bar and Grill on Melville Street, St George’s was ordered to pay the money in one month or face a prison sentence of six months.

A source familiar with the case said that the fine has already been paid and that “Chucky” is due to arrive back home later in the day at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) on a British Airways flight.

He is expected to be approached by members of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) who intend to question him on the issue of .22 ammunition.

A police insider confirmed that “Chucky” has a license for an Air Rifle gun for game shooting but not a .22 calibre revolver.

According to the source, Chucky told the Magistrate’s Court in St Lucia that he took a bag from one of the workers doing construction work on his business place in the city and did not know that it had ammunition in it.

He reportedly travelled to Barbados with the bag and then onto St Lucia but on departure the ammunition was discovered.

Local attorney-at-law Anselm Clouden is known to have travelled to St Lucia last week to represent “Chucky” but the sentencing was adjourned until this morning.

During the sentencing before Magistrate Willie Trotman, the Grenadian businessman was represented by St Lucian attorney-at-law Alberton Richleau.

The 43-year old Grenadian businessman was taken into custody on October 6 and three days later was taken to court where he pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal possession of the ammunition.

Chucky has risen from a street seller to a major promoter of events on the island.