America jails Jamaican for inheriting $7 million

KEITH CAMPELL a Jamaican national in custodial sentence in New York, recently made contact with our business editor and we bring you excerpts of his story as discussed with African Echo's Cass Gilroy.

A Jamaican man who has been living in the United States was jailed for 15 to 30 years just for inheriting more than $7 million dollars. The man, Keith John Campbell, had inherited the amount from his dead mother who in turn, was the main beneficiary of her husband's will. Inez Wolfsohn, who was then a Jamaican citizen, had moved to American and married Harold H. Wolfsohn in the County of Queens, City and State of New York, the man she fell in love with. But when her husband died, Inez became the main beneficiary of his estate. Naturally, the will was challenged in court by members of his family, but the will was upheld by the court.

However, when Inez Wolfsohn herself died leaving her estate to her son, the rules of the game changed. Keith found that he had become the focus of severe police interest, and he was later arrested for the possession of $10 worth of cocaine which Keith said was planted on him. He was convicted and bailed for sentencing, but was rearrested straight from leaving the court on supposed immigration violations.

Naturally, this meant that Campbell was unable to attend his court hearing for sentencing and a violation warrant was issued for his immediate arrest.

When he was eventually released by the immigration services, Campbell found himself before the same judge who had previously found him guilty. He received an initial four year sentence during which, a number of accusations were made against him within the prison system that saw him on a number of occasions before Justice Lotella. And on the rare occasions that he appeared before a “Parole Board” his application was always turned down.

To date, prisoner 99A1629 Keith Campbell, has served a total of twelve (12) years in the Cape Vincent Correctional Facility of up-State New York. He is up for parole again quite soon, but if he is successful, he will undoubtedly be deported back to Jamaica to stop him fighting for his rightful legacy.