The Fourth Judicial Circuit Court in Maryland County, Liberia, handed down the sentence on September 16, 2026, during the 32nd day of the August 2026 Term of Court. The court, presided over by Assigned Circuit Judge Cllr. George S. Wiles Jr., found Lewis Saywon guilty of Theft of Property, Terroristic Threat, and Burglary. The case initially included a charge of Armed Robbery, but the prosecution later requested that the charge be dropped.
According to the court record, prosecution counsel asked the court to amend the indictment, arguing that the armed robbery charge should be dropped and that the remaining charges should proceed to trial on their merits. The court granted the application and dismissed the armed robbery charge with prejudice. The amended charges against Saywon were listed as Theft of Property, Terroristic Threat, and Burglary.
Following the amendment of the indictment, prosecution counsel requested that the Clerk of Court read the charges to Saywon and have him enter his plea. The court granted the request, and Saywon pleaded guilty to the charges. The court then questioned Saywon about whether he understood the indictment and whether his guilty plea was made voluntarily. Saywon informed the court that he understood the charges and had entered the guilty plea voluntarily.
Under Liberian law and practice, except in capital cases, a trial is no longer necessary when a defendant voluntarily pleads guilty after being properly informed of the charges. The court, therefore, proceeded to sentencing without a trial. In its ruling, the court stated that Saywon had admitted to the commission of the crimes of Theft of Property, Terroristic Threat, and Burglary.
He was consequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment for four calendar years. However, the court took into consideration the time Saywon had already spent in detention before the sentencing. The judgment states that he had been in detention for one year and six months, which was credited toward the four-year sentence. As a result, Saywon is to serve two additional years and five months in prison.
The court said the sentence would serve, among other purposes, as a deterrent to other young men from unlawfully taking the belongings of citizens. Following the sentencing, the court ordered the Clerk of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court to prepare a Permanent Commitment and place it in the hands of the Sheriff.
The commitment is intended to facilitate Saywon’s detention at Harper Central Prison for the remaining period of his sentence. The judgment was signed by Cllr. George S. Wiles Jr., Assigned Circuit Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court, Maryland County, Liberia.
Key points
- Lewis Saywon was sentenced to four years in prison for theft, terroristic threat, and burglary.
- The court took into consideration the time Saywon had already spent in detention before the sentencing.
- The sentence was handed down on September 16, 2026, during the 32nd day of the August 2026 Term of Court.
