ROSEAU, Dominica, (CMC) – Dominican Senior Magistrate Michael Laudat, Wednesday, denied bail to United States national Jonathan Lehrer, who was arrested on January 15 this year on firearms trafficking charges.

Lehrer, 57, who is already facing murder charges here, was not required to enter a plea as the charges were laid indictable and will go before a High Court judge.

He is charged with “trafficking firearms and unlawfully importing 1 Mac 11-9MM threaded barrel, 144 9X19 MM ammunition, 1 IWI 25 rounds capacity 9MM magazine, 3 IWI 32 rounds capacity 9MM magazines, 3 Glock 9MM 15 rounds capacity magazines, and 3 Glock 9MM 10 rounds capacity magazines.” The incident took place on December 4, 2023.

His lawyer, Lennox Lawrence, had told the court that his client needed a “speedy trial” and had argued bail for his client last week, telling the court that his client, who was slapped with two murder charges, has been granted bail by the High Court on those charges.

But in handing down his decision, the senior magistrate explained that the magistrate’s power to grant bail was “discretionary and must be taken seriously; trafficking of firearms is a serious offence and carries a heavy penalty if found guilty.”

He quoted Section 7 (1) (d) of the Bail Act, which states, “Any offence under the Firearms Act 2011 punishable by a term of imprisonment for more than five years or more, the court shall not grant bail to that defendant unless it is satisfied that appropriate circumstances exist to justify the granting of bail.”

The senior magistrate said the court must look at the risk of “absconding,” the upsurge of violent crimes in the state, and the public order, and the defendant must satisfy the court on a balance of probability that he will surrender to the custody of the court.

He said the court is not satisfied that the defendant has satisfied Section 4 (3) of the Bail Act in the public’s interest, adding “it was not safe to release him in the public’s interest and hence bail was denied.”

He further stated that the public demands that the defendant be given a speedy trial; hence, April 22, 24, and 25, 2025, have been set for his trial, and it must be completed by May 30 this year.

The senior magistrate also set March 31, 2025 as the final date for disclosures to be made in the case.

He said the accused is free to reapply to the court for bail if his circumstances change or is free as well to apply to the High Court for bail.

Lehrer and 62-year-old Robert Snyder Jr., another American national, were charged with the murders of animation pioneer and Canadian philanthropist Daniel Langlois and his long-time partner, Dominique Marchand, 58.

The Americans were not required to enter a plea in the magistrate’s court, since murder is an indictable offence and can only be tried before a judge and jury at the High Court.

The prosecution alleges that between November 29 and December 2, 2023, the two Americans murdered Langlois and Marchand. Their bodies were found incinerated in a car near Gallion, in the south of the island where they owned a hotel. Langlois and Marchand had been reported missing for several days.